Family Reunion
by Michael The-Zorch Haney
Summary: Tenchi learns his mother had a sister, so Yosho decides to reunite the family by inviting them from Nerima to spend the summer in Ohkayama.
1. Family Reunion Part 1

DISCLAIMER: The copyrights to Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki is owned by AIC Inc. and Pioneer LDC respectively. The copyrights to Ranma 1/2 are owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Pioneer LDC respectively. This work of fiction is not created for commercial purposes and is done for fan entertainment only without profit.  
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F A M I L Y R E U N I O N  
  
PART 1: An Invitation from Ohkayama  
  
By Michael "TheZorch" Haney  
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A spring breeze drifted in through the open windows of the priest's quarters at the Masaki shrine sending the curtains into a lazy dance. The sounds of birds singing like a chorus to the praises of the beautiful weather did little to lift the burden on the heart of the one kneeling inside. The eldest Masaki, master of the ancient Masaki Shinto shrine, knelt at his table with a cup of fresh tea. His tear filled eyes looked again at the piece of paper in his hand. The weight of sorrow on the priest's heart was almost too much for him to bare. He sat the paper down, a Xerox copy of a death certificate from nearly ten years ago. His inquires eventually lead him to this point, when he received the mailing with the copy of the certificate inside he at first hoped that he found what he was looking for. But, alas, his search ended in terrible tragedy.  
"Isuki, my darling," He old priest breathed stifling a sob. "Both of our precious little girls are now gone."  
  
Three months later...  
  
Tenchi Masaki had learned to expect certain things as ordinary in his household which wasn't entirely all that ordinary to begin with. One of those things he learned to expect came in the morning when he woke up. Sure enough, when he opened his eyes there was Ryoko hovering over his bed. In the beginning his reaction to her presence was always over reacted, but now things were different. He came to enjoy seeing the cyan haired women smiling down at him from above. After all, she was really cute, and she was in love with him and would never do anything to hurt him. Tenchi knew this very well, but he didn't take it for granted. He still wasn't very sure how he really felt about Ryoko or the other girls in the household. He did know that something inside of him has indeed changed.  
"Good morning my Tenchi." Ryoko purred down at him.  
Her smiled didn't change when Tenchi reached out, pulled her down, and hugged her tightly. Ryoko sighed with delight and managed a light blush when Tenchi kissed her on the cheek.  
"Good morning Ryoko." He said with a smile. Ryoko loved the new more open Tenchi Masaki. This changed in him came after they all lived through a 'year of hell'. Those days, the days of the struggle with Lady Tokimi were over. "You look tired, you stayed up all night watching over me again, didn't you." He went on.  
Ryoko nodded and tried to hide the fatigue in her face. Tenchi caressed her cheek, he felt a much closer connection to the girls now. In their darkest hour facing the dark forces of Tokimi the girls were prepared to sacrifice themselves so he could live. In that brief moment, a flicker of time, Tenchi suddenly understood just how much they all loved him. That was what gave him the strength to overcome the awesome power weighing down on top of him and vanquish it forever. Ever since that day their relationship with him would never be the same again. "You can sleep here," he told her as he eased her down next to him in the bed. "I'll have Sasami save you some breakfast." He went on. Ryoko snuggled up next to him and closed her eyes, in seconds she was fast asleep. Tenchi smiled down at her, kissed her cheek, and slowly climbed out of bed so as not to disturb her.  
Aeka was waiting for him downstairs in the living room. The first Princess of Jurai flashed him a cordial smile and a polite bow. "Good morning Lord Tenchi." She greeted him happily. "Have you seen Miss Ryoko this morning?" she went on to ask. Tenchi was almost afraid to give her an answer, he knew what her reaction would be. Despite the new openness in their relationship certain things still set the two women off on one another. "She stayed up all night watching over me, so I let her go to sleep in my room." He told her truthfully.  
Anger was written all over the princess' face when she headed for the stairs, but Tenchi reached out and stopped her. "Aeka, she didn't do anything if that is what you're worried about." He told her trying to calm her down.  
"That rude woman has to learn to stop invading your privacy every time you turn around." Aeka pleaded. Tenchi put her arm around the princess' shoulder and walked her away from the stairs. "She's just concerned for me, like you are." He said. "If something ever does happen, between me and Ryoko, or you and me it will be a mutual decision." Tenchi went on. Aeka nodded and blushed a bit at what he said. "Could you ever one day?" she asked, her eyes looking into his as if trying to fathom the depths of his heart. Tenchi kissed her cheek and hugged her, another side effect of their new more open relationship.  
"I care about all of you, asking me to pick a favorite seems so foreign to me somehow," he tried explaining. Aeka hugged him back, resting her head on his chest. "I would do anything for any of you, you're all so much more than family to me." Tenchi continued.  
Sasami came in holding a basket of freshly baked biscuits. "Oh, Aeka could you help me set the table for breakfast?" she asked her sister. "Certainly, Sasami." Aeka replied cheerfully. Before she went off Tenchi took her hand and turned Aeka back around to face him. He kissed her on the forehead and hugged her one last time. "You and Ryoko are very special to me, I need you to understand that." He told her. Aeka tightened her embraced. "I love you Tenchi." She whispered, then kissed his cheek before going to the kitchen.  
  
The entire Masaki family, except for one, was all gathered around the dinning room table. Another of Sasami's culinary masterpieces was spread out before them. This time it was a more Western style breakfast with fried eggs, sausage, bacon, fried potatoes, and biscuits. This was a rare treat for everyone since beef and pork were expensive in Japan and sales at the meat market were few and far between.  
Katsuhito Masaki, the elder Masaki and master of the Masaki shrine sat quietly eating. The normally fearless former-first Prince of Jurai had to steel himself and gather his courage for what he had to announce today. It was time to tell the family, everything. At one point in the meal while everyone was talking and complimenting Sasami on her cook the old priest cleared his throat and the table fell silent. "I have a special announcement to make to everyone today, where is Ryoko?" he asked.  
"She's sleeping in today, grandpa." Tenchi explained to him.  
"Very well then, you'll have to tell her when she wakes up," Katsuhito went on. "What I have to say is for everyone to hear, but it is mostly intended for you Tenchi." Katsuhito began, and Tenchi nodded. "Tenchi, your mother had a sister, she was your aunt." The old man said quickly.  
Tenchi nearly choked on a bit of food and downed his cup of orange fruit to clear it. "Why didn't you tell me this a long time ago?" Tenchi asked after recovering. The old man looked away. "Because I was shamed to speak of her." Katsuhito replied in a matter of fact tone. Tenchi looked at him with a bewildered expression. "She met a man named Genma Saotome, a student of a rather disreputable form of martial arts, and a rather uncouth sort of man." The old priest continued. "They dated behind my back for years until one day he proposed to her and they came to me to get my blessing. I refused and demanded she not see him again, we argued most of the night, then the next day I found a note from her saying they were eloping and I haven't seen her since. That was nearly eighteen years ago."  
"That still doesn't explain why you wouldn't talk about her." Tenchi said in a scolding tone.  
"In the letter she denounced me as her father and said that if I cannot accept the man she loves then she never wants to see me again." Katsuhito sighed, a small tear threatened to fall down his cheek.  
"That's so sad." Said Mihoshi with a sniffle.  
"For years it weighed upon on me like a terrible burden, I tried many times to try and locate her." Katsuhito went on. "And, until three months ago my search turned up nothing." He reached into his tunic and pulled out the copied death certificate, then handed it to Tenchi. "Grandpa, I don't know what to say, this is, is-" Tenchi stammered. "My worst fears made reality, I will never see her again, never get to tell her I'm sorry." The priest finished for him.  
"She and Genma Saotome had a son named Ranma and the two now live in Fureinken with the family of Akane Tendo, Ranma's fiancé." Explained Katsuhito. "I have been exchanging letters with Mr. Saotome for three months now and I have invited him and his family to come and stay with us for a few weeks this summer so we can begin healing the wounds that separated us."  
Everyone at the table winced at Mihoshi's piercing wail. "Its so sad and touching!" she sobbed spraying tears everywhere.  
"Since we're going to have so many new houseguests I've drawn up plans to build a new addition onto the house." Said Noboyuki.  
"Dad, you knew about this?" asked Tenchi in surprise.  
"Your mother and I were dating a long time before your aunt and her boyfriend ran away with each other," Noboyuki admitted. "To get his permission to marry your mother, father made it clear that I wasn't to tell any children we might have about her sister."  
"Brother, did this Mr. Saotome send a picture of his son or family perhaps?" asked Aeka. The priest nodded and pulled out a photo. Tenchi looked at it, Aeka leaned in close to get a closer look. The picture was of a teenaged boy not much older than Tenchi wearing a red traditional Japanese tunic and baggy pants. The garb looked sort of like those outfits martial artists wear in the movies. "This is a picture of your aunt." Katsuhito handed Tenchi another picture, this one of a very pretty young woman.  
"My goodness, he's almost a spitting image of her." Aeka gasped.  
Washu came around and looked at the pictures. "Interesting, so he's related to you, huh Yosho." She said coyly.  
"My goodness, Washu is right, he is your grandson, brother," said Aeka excitedly. "Which means he too is a member of the Royal Family."  
"Which is why I am asking now that our normal rules concerning outside visitors be 'relaxed'." Said Katsuhito putting enthuses on the word 'relaxed'. "Families do not hide secrets from one another."  
"You want to, to tell them about Jurai!" shouted Tenchi in shock. The old priest nodded. "I must Tenchi, it is my own fault and stupid pride that brought me to this situation." Explained Katsuhito. "This is my only chance at redemption for the sorrow I caused my darling little girl." Tenchi calmed down and looked at the photo of Ranma Saotome again. There was someone else in the photo with the young man, a girl. She was much shorter than Ranma, had hair done in a style similar to Aeka's and was wearing a school uniform. "Would that be his fiancé?" asked Tenchi. Katsuhito nodded.  
"She is very pretty." Commented Aeka.  
"I wonder, since he came from the same genetic stock as Tenchi-" Washu began. Tenchi jumped up and turned on the diminutive genius. "No you are not going to experiment on him, do I make myself clear." He told her calmly but in rigid tone. The pink haired genius did say and word she just folded her arms and stared back at him in defiance.  
"From what I have learned about Ranma through my correspondence with Genma Saotome is that he is a very gifted martial artist exhibiting incredible strength, speed, and almost super-human endurance." Said Katsuhito. Washu pursed her lips and scratched her chin. "Probably due to manifestations of his Jurai power no doubt." She reasoned, giving Tenchi a crooked smile. "Which is why I decided to tell him and his family of his true heritage, because if he does possess the Jurai power he must be properly train in how to control it safely." Katsuhito explained.  
"I can relate to that." Tenchi admitted.  
"Who will all be coming?" asked Sasami.  
"Ranma, his father, Ranma's fiancé Akane Tendo, her father and two sisters Nabiki and Kasumi." Replied Katsuhito. "He also mentioned someone else, somebody named Happosai, but he would never go into detail about him for some reason."  
"We're going to need a bigger dinner table." Commented Sasami.  
"Already taken care of, by the time summer vacation gets here the new construction on the house will be done and the dinning room will be much bigger." Noboyuki chimed in happily.  
"I think it will be great, I can tell already Ranma and I will get along just fine." Tenchi said cheerfully. "Yes, and Ranma and his sweetheart can have romantic walks by the lake at night." Aeka gushed, hugging Tenchi's arm lovingly. "They look like such a loving couple."  
  
"RANMA YOU BAKA!" The high pitched screech carried through the Tendo house with the force of a hurricane. Ranma sat in his room at his desk looking over some homework papers and groaned. Akane must have found out he took the last of Kasumi's coconut cream pie, the one she hid in the back of the fridge for an after school snack. Of course, it was obvious she suspected him first over anyone else. In truth, Ranma and his father both shared the last of the pie, but one look at the enraged teenage girl made Genma decide that silence was truly golden.  
Ranma winced at the sound of a fist pounding on his door. "WHERE IS MY PIE!" Aeka screamed. Knowing full well that he was going to get a savage thrashing the moment he opened the door, Ranma made the quick retreat out of the bedroom window and onto the roof.  
"I should never have let dad talk me into eating that pie, oh man." He groaned as he sat cross legged on top of the house. It was then he noticed a sudden change in the atmosphere around him. The air seemed hotter somehow. He turned around and came face to face with Akane, her features breathed in the flames of her rage.  
"Uh, hi Akane, were you calling me just now?" he said faking innocence.  
"You know how much I love Kasumi's pies, and you went and ate the last of it." She growled. "There was enough for two, I might have been nice enough to let you have the other half, maybe." Ranma sighed, there was no force in the known universe that could calm an enraged Akane, almost. "I'm sorry, Akane." He said softly. "I won't do it again."  
She looked at him surprised and blinked. "You're not going to try and deny it or yell back." She said. Ranma shook his head. "No, I ate the pie and I'm sorry, ok." He replied. She folded her arms, most of her anger spent now, and stalked off. Akane knew Ranma pretty well, or thought she knew him, but this sudden change in him was weird. He never actually apologized to her about anything, not on purpose anyway. Back on the roof Ranma did feel guilty for letting his Dad talk into it. He could feel a little bit of himself hurt inside to see Akane so angry, it was feeling at ached him right down to his heart. Ranma too a quick mental backwards step. Whoa, that can't be right, was I just thinking I actually like her! That can't be! No way!  
  
Later that night everybody was gathered around the diner table to one of Kasumi's feasts. The eldest Tendo daughter sat next to her middle sister Nabiki with a broad smile on her face. She was always so happy to see everyone enjoy her cooking. It was fulfilling to her making everyone happy by doing what she did best. Genma was uncharacteristically in human form tonight sitting with long time friend Soun Tendo. Ranma studied his father, he could tell something was bothering the man, it was a gut feeling really. The big man sighed, sat down his chopsticks and cleared his throat.  
"I have an announcement to make, its more for Ranma really, but it impacts all of us." Said Genma.  
"I thought something was bothering you tonight." Said Ranma.  
"What's the problem Saotome?" Soun asked with a questioning expression.  
Genma looked into Ranma's eyes when he said what he needed to say. "Ranma your grandfather, on your mother's side, is alive." He said.  
"What, but mom always told me he died a long time ago." Ranma said surprised. Looks of surprise traveled around the table.  
"He didn't approve of us being together so we eloped," Genma explained. "He disowned her, but recently began looking for her because he felt guilty. The local municipality sent him a copy of her death certificate. Three months ago a lawyer he secured the services of contacted me that he was hired to locate us. He wants to mend the gulf between our families and make up for the wrong he did so many years ago."  
Tears were already streaming down Soun's face. "What a sad story." Said Kasumi. "So, Mr. Saotome, who is this man?" asked Akane.  
"His name is Katsuhito Masaki, and he is the master of the Masaki family Shinto shrine in Ohkayama." Answered Genma. "Oh, Ohkayama, I hear its beautiful around this time of year." Kasumi smiled.  
"That pretty far away, so what does he want to do?" asked Ranma.  
"He wants us to come and stay for the summer." Genma told him.  
"Can we afford that?" asked Nabiki.  
Genma reached into his gi and pulled out a checkbook. "I've been saving this up for a few years now, it should be more than enough for all of us to make the trip to Ohkayama." He said. "Besides, we won't be staying at a hotel, we'll be staying at Mr. Masaki's home." He fished something out of his gi and handed it over to Ranma. Akane and Nabiki leaned in to look. They were photos, one of them was of the Masaki home. "Wow, not too shabby." Nabiki commented. The next picture was of the ancient shrine during the fall with the cherry blossoms in full bloom. The next photo made the girls and Ranma do a double take, it was a group photo of a young man about Ranma's age with short cropped black hair. He was surrounded on all sides by a group of young girls, two of them looked like they were young children. Behind them stood a tall man with black hair and mustache, and next to him a stoic gray haired man wearing priest's robes.  
"Is this him?" asked Ranma.  
"Yes, and the young man is his grandson Tenchi, the son of his youngest daughter, and your cousin." Genma explained.  
"Isn't Tenchi a girl's name?" Kasumi questioned.  
"Its like Ranma, it's a name that can used for either boys or girls." Soun told her.  
Akane cracked a crooked smile. "Now isn't that ironic, eh Ranma." She said coyly. He responded with wicked frown and low growl. "Who are these young women with him?" Nabiki asked. Genma pushed his glasses up on his nose. "Mr. Masaki didn't go into too much detail about only to say they are Tenchi's distant relations and even hinted at the idea that some of them are his suitors."  
"He is sort of cute, don't you think so Akane?" asked Nabiki.  
"He's alright." Akane waved.  
"The little girl with the pony tails is a real cutie pie." Kasumi gushed looking at the photo.  
"We'll all get to meet them in a few months when summer vacation rolls around." Genma told them.  
Soun smiled warmly. "A nice trip like this is just what this family needs, eh Saotome." He said. "You're right Tendo, we haven't had a good outing since we got shipwrecked on Kuno's yacht last year." Replied Genma.  
"You call that an outing." Akane scowled.  
"I think it would be good to get away for the summer, no getting bugged by Shampoo, no Kuno sempei, and definitely no Ryoga." Ranma said cheerfully. "Now if there were no Ranma it would be perfect." Akane shot back with a smirk. Ranma balled his fist up at her and pulled up his sleeve. "Oh you are really asking for it." He growled. "Go ahead, make my day." Akane growled back holding her bokken at the ready.  
Nabiki chuckled under her breath. "It must be love."  
Outside, hidden beneath the back porch a short figure in ninja garb, a figured listened to the conversation of the people inside. The ninja with great stealth left the grounds of the Tendo Dojo and ran off to the home of his master; Tatawaki Kuno. From the top of the stairs a balding man, diminutive in appearance, listened to what was being said also and smiled with a wide Cheshire cat grin. Someone else heard the conversation also, and he kneeled down in the bushes scratching at his head underneath his yellow and black headband. Unseen by any of the others a lone, petite figure sat on the Tendo roof. She brushed back a lock of blue hair and folded her arms across her chest defiantly. Lastly, hidden behind a statuette stood a tall feminine form brandishing a huge spatula. She smirked and slowly sneaked her way out of the Tendo yard.   
"Yeah, with none of those bozos around this will be a very relaxing vacation." Ranma smiled cheerfully.  
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CONTINUED IN PART 2...  
  
FAMILY REUNION - PART 2: Tenchi Meets Ranma  
  
The Masaki family meets the Saotome and Tendo families at last. All seems nice and peaceful until Happosai decides to go on a rampage. 


	2. Family Reunion Part 2

DISCLAIMER: The copyrights to Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki is owned by AIC Inc. and Pioneer LDC respectively. The copyrights to Ranma 1/2 are owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Pioneer LDC respectively. This work of fiction is not created for commercial purposes and is done for fan entertainment only without profit.  
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F A M I L Y R E U N I O N  
  
PART 2: Tenchi Meets Ranma  
  
By Michael "TheZorch" Haney  
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Summer vacation was only a few days away and the last of the contractors left the Masaki home. Tenchi, Ryoko, and Aeka walked through the newly completed addition. Two new bedrooms were added to house on the upper level, Aeka and Sasami's room was expanded as well as Tenchi's, and a whole new dinning room was added with a huge picture window giving a breath taking view of the lake and mountains.  
"Now this is nice." Ryoko said.  
"Mr. Tendo and Mr. Saotome will have their own bedrooms, the girls will bunk with Aeka and Sasami, Ranma will bunk with me, and Dad even made a bedroom for you Ryoko so I don't want to see you sleeping on that beam anymore." Said Tenchi, putting his arm around Ryoko's shoulder when they got to her room.  
"Its right next to yours too." She purred.  
"Ryoko, remember Ranma will be sleeping in Tenchi's room also." Aeka warned her. "What's the matter princess, jealous that I get to sleep so close to Tenchi." Ryoko said with a smirk.  
"No, on the contrary, I don't want you frightening the poor boy half to death." Aeka said returning the smirk.  
"Girls, what have we talked about," Tenchi scolded them, then an arm around both of their waists. "No more fighting."  
"We weren't fighting Tenchi." Ryoko said. "We were exchanging creative bantering." Aeka continued. Tenchi harrumphed giving them a knowing smirk. "I know you two of you too well, you'll find a way to fight without it looking like your fighting." He said. Ryoko make a mock expression of surprise, putting a hand on her chest. "Who us?" she said feigning innocence.  
"Listen, they'll be here at the end of the week so lets all get along, alright." He said letting his eyes plead to them.  
"I can attempt to be civil if Miss Ryoko will." Said Aeka. Ryoko turned away from the princess and stuck her nose in the air. "And, I can like not piss her off and stuff if she doesn't act all snooty and everything." She said. Aeka turned with clenched fists about to say something about that comment but thought better of it. "Very well, I guess we have an agreement." Aeka said.  
Tenchi defused the situation considerably by giving each a light kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, both of you." He said. "If this keeps up I might end of marrying both of you." The two women turned on him with expressions that were half joy and half unadulterated shock. Tenchi scratched the back of his head reflexively. "But, seriously, I really care about both of you and I don't like it when you fight." He said.  
"Tenchi." Both women purred at once as they hugged him.  
  
More than a hundred miles away in another part of Japan, actually on a completely different island, a family prepared to leave on a long trip. Akane Tendo had her suitcases out, she neatly folded the clothes she was going to take with her. An assortment of odds and ends, hairspray, a makeup case, shampoo and conditioner, and various other feminine articles were spread out over the bed. In the midst of all this sat a little black, pot bellied pig with a yellow and black bandana around its neck. The tiny creature followed Akane's every move as best it could with its limited vision.  
"How's the packing going?" Nabiki asked from the open door.  
"Oh, ok, say how is the climate in Ohkayama?" Akane asked as she folded one of her favorite skirts.  
"Pretty much like Nerima from what I understand, why?" asked Nabiki.  
"Well, since they have a lake I thought I'd take my bathing suit along." Akane answered putting more clothes in the suitcase. Neither girl noticed the wistful expression on the little animal's face, or at least as best a expression it could physically manage.  
"Sounds nice, I'm bringing mine along." Nabiki leaned on the doorway. "That one you got last week, the one that nearly gave dad a heart attack and put Happosai into overdrive." Akane chuckled. Nabiki was well aware that she was gifted in the area of beauty and knew how to use it. Her latest weapon in her arsenal was that bikini, an assortment of tiny patches of fabric connected by thin cords that looked thinner than a cobweb. She tried it on for the first time and showed her sisters in the living room. Their father happened to enter the room at the same time and promptly passed out. There was one other factor Nabiki did however fail to add into the equation...Happosai. It took the combined effort of Ranma, Akane, and Genma to stop the ravenous pervert from chasing a frightened Nabiki all over the house.  
"One in the same." Nabiki laughed.  
"Got your eye set on that Tenchi guy, huh?" Akane said coyly.  
"He's cute, but you can tell from the posture of two girls standing next to him in that photo that they have feelings for him that go beyond just family ties." Nabiki replied.  
"Don't be silly, there couldn't possibly be another guy out there who is in Ranma's 'situation'." Akane reasoned.  
"You never know." Waved Nabiki before heading to her room to finish her packing.  
  
Ranma groaned, how much luggage do girls need anyway? In both hands he carried several cases all filled with outfits. Most of them were Kasumi's and Nabiki's since Akane wasn't done packing yet. The van Mr. Tendo rented for the trip was already half full with luggage, and that meant the seating was going to be close quarters. Could he survive sitting next to Akane for eight hours?  
"Get a move on boy, we leave tomorrow morning!" Genma growled when he noticed his son's hesitation.  
"Sorry, pop, was just thinking." Apologized Ranma.  
"We got our own luggage, Tendo's, and Akane's to stow today before we're ready to leave." The balding elder Saotome grumbled.  
"I thought Happy was going too, where is his stuff?" Ranma asked. He was almost afraid to ask until he heard a sound from inside the van. Genma heard it too and went to investigate. Something was moving around in the luggage, the two Saotomes readied to fight whatever it might be. A small form moved too swiftly for Ranma to react and he was slammed backwards when it hit him in the face. Before hitting the ground he caught of glimpse of a tiny, diminutive old man holding a lacy white bra in his hands.  
"Wahoo!" the old pervert cried. "I never knew Kasumi wore a C cup!"  
"This is going to be one long vacation." Ranma muttered with a mouth full of dirt.   
  
Ryoko flew up to the living room ceiling, her former sleeping area, and tried off the string holding a large banner. On it written in elegant Kanji characters by Tenchi's own hand was the message "Welcome Home!" Washu was busy in another part of the room inspecting a set of string lights. It was Sasami's idea to introduce the new family members to their Juraian heritage by way of a Summer Startica celebration. Ryoko had to admit, sometimes Sasami's ideas were pretty neat. She always loved it around Startica time and Christmas. Christmas was very special for her, because it was the day Tenchi admitted he did have feelings for her and Aeka too that were a bit more than just friendship. It wasn't the start of the kind of relationship would have preferred, but in the light of what they faced that year just having him alive was more than enough for her for now.  
"That's good right there, Ryoko." Tenchi said when he was sure the banner was level.  
In a corner of the living room Aeka and Mihoshi were setting up the Christmas tree, or Startica tree actually. The First Princess of Jurai smiled contently as she wove a long strand of silver tinsel around the tree. She winced at the sound of something made of thin glass breaking. "Opps." She heard Mihoshi say. Aeka could only sigh, that was the third glass ornament the girl broke in the last ten minutes.  
"Please be more careful, Mihoshi, those ornaments came all the way from Jurai for this occasion." Aeka told her.  
"I'm sorry." The blonde GP detective said. "Well, we do have five more boxes, my mother wanted to be sure we had enough." Aeka went on. Enough to cover over four dozen trees the size of Fonaho-oh actually. Mother is completely hopeless, thought Aeka. Fonaho and Misaki were both overjoyed at learning they had another great grandson, but when she learned who they weren't told about him one their visit Fonaho had a few choice words for Yosho. The former First Prince of Jurai was fearless in the face of the most notorious and vile villains in the universe, but when faced with an angry mother he turned to Jell-O within seconds.  
Sasami came skipping out of the kitchen with Ryo-Ohki behind her in child form. The young princess was holding a long wooden spoon. "Tenchi, try this." She piped. Tenchi gave what she had a taste and his eyebrows went up. "That's really good, but everything you make is good." he said. "What is it?" he went on to ask. "It's a sauce for something that's pretty popular in the America I've been wanting to try." She told him. "The Americans call it Chili, but I don't see why because it's not cold." She shrugged her little shoulders.  
"It's called Tex-Mex, a hybrid recipe adapted by the Americans from Mexico." Tenchi explained. "We studied about it in World History class."  
"I hope you like spicy food though, the recipe calls for paprika, chili powder, and other spices." Said Sasami.  
"I've had something like it before, and if you think that is going to be hot you should try Taiwanese food." Tenchi smiled.  
"Actually, Andorian Chili is the hottest." Said Ryoko. "They have this little blue pepper that grows on their planet and it's the hottest thing you have ever tasted, it's so hot you only need to use a tiny sliver of it to heat up a gallon of chili." Tenchi and Sasami both looked at her in surprise.  
"It's called a Blue Demon Pepper, and its juices are so hot they can cause third degree burns to unprotected flesh if its not properly prepared." Washu added her own informative twist on the conversation.  
"How the heck do they eat it?" Tenchi asked grimacing.  
"Andorians stand about fifteen to twenty feet tall and have two inch thick skin as well as a stomach lining that would make battleship armor jealous." Washu laughed.  
"I'm also making teriyaki chicken, honey roasted turkey, I made the honey coating, and few pies." Smiled Sasami. "Where do you find the time?" Tenchi asked. "I got started early this morning, I'll be done before dinner tonight." She told him as she skipped back to the kitchen.  
"Whenever I see how much that girl does in one day it really makes me feel my age." Washu commented with a smile.  
"She does do a lot, if only we had enough left over from the money dad used to build the addition we could have had all the food catered this year so she could have a break." Tenchi said.  
Aeka smiled and laughed, "They'd never get anything done, she would be going behind their backs making sure everything passed her inspection first before anything would be served."  
"Sasami take a break, remember that day she got a really bad cold and she had to stay in bed the whole day." Ryoko chuckled. "It drove her crazy that she couldn't get up to do housework or cook dinner, she was miserable."  
"My mom is like that, she's happiest when she's cleaning." Mihoshi piped in."Speaking of your mom, how are Seina and the girls doing, have you heard from them?" asked Tenchi.  
"Last I heard Amane was six months pregnant." Mihoshi replied.  
"So, she finally got him in bed," Washu giggled. "Its gotta be tough when your married to a guy who has eight other wives who all want to have his attention at the same time." The girls all looked at Tenchi at that moment and the young first prince just smiled and blushed furiously. Tenchi was well aware that Seina's fate was likely going to be his own someday.  
"Tenchi," Katsuhito called from the patio door. "I'm excusing you from today's practice, there is just too much to do before tomorrow." Noboyuki popped his head in from behind. "We're going into town to pick up a few things, so don't go off and do anything I wouldn't do Tenchi." He grinned widely.  
Tenchi blushed even more furiously. "Uh, yeah, sure dad." He replied.  
When the pair were gone Ryoko spoke up saying, "Too bad Tenchi couldn't be a little more like his father." Aeka gave her a suddenly horrified expression. "Miss Ryoko, how could you suggest such a thing?" she asked in shock. Ryoko laughed before saying, "Easy, one cute but ettchi guy, four horny women, you do the math, Princess." Tenchi's eye went wide a trickle of blood ran out of his nose. Aeka looked like she was ready to pass out, but there was also a certain gleam in her eye at the same time. Mihoshi just looked at everyone wide eyed, and Washu had a somewhat disconcerting smirk on her face.  
Tenchi sighed. "Is that how all of your feel about me, I mean I'm nothing really special so what have I done to make all of you feel like this." He said as a statement rather than a question.  
"Lets see, you freed Ryoko from seven hundred years of imprisonment by your grandfather, took her into your home even after she attacked you at the high school, you took Aeka and Sasami into your home even after everything that happened to you on her ship, you fought and killed that jerk Kagato to save us, and you even did your best to try and save Ryoko from old Octopus Head." Washu pointed out.  
"But-" he tried to counter but Ryoko teleported next to him and put a finger to his lips. "But most of all, you care about us, you make self-sacrifices to make us happy, and its because of that we love you." She told him.  
"You're a rare find among men in the universe," Washu added. "Most others are chauvinistic and bossy, but you're kind, gentle, and caring." "But you can be forceful when you need to be without being overbearing." Aeka said adding her own viewpoint. "You're the first guy I ever met who hasn't tried to get into my pants one way or another." Said Mihoshi.  
"I don't know what to say, I knew all of you had a crush on me and stuff, but I never realized it ran that deeply." Tenchi admitted. Tenchi remembered the faithful day he realized the girls had strong feelings for him. Lady Tokimi had him down, the girls were prepared to throw themselves at her knowing full well it would probably have been suicide, but it would have distracted her long enough for him to get free and strike a lethal blow with the Light Hawk Sword. Tenchi couldn't let that happen and he tapped into his vast powers, overcame Tokimi's force and struck her down forever. Somehow in the back of his mind he knew all along this was how they all really felt about him.  
"I'll tell you what, after my relatives get here and we finish with all of the pleasantries we can all go somewhere private and discuss this, ok?" He suggested to them. The girls all had hopeful expressions on their faces as they nodded in agreement.  
  
Unseen, Sasami looked out of the kitchen doorway into the living room. She had heard the entire exchange. She smiled happily. The translucent image of Tsunami, visible only to Sasami and Ryo-Ohki, kneeled down beside her and smiled happily. "It is about time, Tenchi." Tsunami whispered, Sasami nodded and Ryo-Ohki meowed in agreement.  
  
Ranma wasn't very comfortable. The van was so packed with luggage that there wasn't enough room for everybody in the back seat, with him in it. There was a workaround though, but Ranma wasn't very happy with the idea. The wind from the open window whipped Ranma's pigtail around as 'she' looked out at the passing landscape. With him in girl-form there was enough room for Kasumi, Nabiki, and Akane to sit in the back behind the front seats.  
"Where is this place at, out in the boonies?" asked Ranma.  
"This area is pretty rural, a lot of farmland out this way." Akane said.  
"We must have passed at least a dozen rice patties in the past ten minutes." Nabiki commented.  
"I think it beautiful country." Smiled Kasumi.  
"Hey, driver, are we there yet!?" Ranma shouted up front.  
Genma turned around in his seat. "Another fifteen more minutes." He said.  
"Remember your promise, Akane." Ranma grumbled folding her arms.  
Akane reached under her seat and pulled out a thermos. "Got the hot water right here, I'll give you a splash right before we arrive." She reassured him, or was it her.  
"We don't want to freak out our new relatives too soon, so no cold water for a while, ok Ranma." Genma said.  
"I hear ya, pop." Ranma groaned.  
"Yeah, we don't want Tenchi to think his cousin is a weirdo or anything." Akane giggled girlishly. Nabiki laughed along with her. "He'd probably figure that out on his own, anyway." Akane went on, smiling like a Cheshire cat. "Hey!" exclaimed Ranma.  
"Saotome, have you seen our Master?" Soun asked from the driver's seat.  
"Right here!" the little lecher cheered popping out from under the back seat, affording him a clear view under Akane's skirt. She caught onto his expression instantly and with disgusted slammed him in the head with her foot.  
"Don't you dare look under my skirt you little pervert!" she cried.  
"Beside, there isn't much to look at." Ranma said coyly, then had the air knocked out of her by Akane's elbow to the stomach.  
  
The van finished its circuit up an unpaved dirt road that wound its way through the trees. Ranma noticed a large field to one side. Curiously it appeared to be made up of all carrots. Eventually they reached their destination, the familiar house from the photograph. Boy-type Ranma climbed out of the van after Akane and her sisters. A group of people poured from the house to meet them. The tall gray haired priest, Katsuhito Masaki, approached Genma Saotome. A silence fell over the place as the two faced one another for the first time in nearly twenty years. The tense moment lasted for what seemed almost an eternity until Katsuhito bowed politely.  
"Welcome to our home, son in law." Said Katsuhito. The emotion on Genma's face was very evident. The two men exchanged an embrace, the kind of hug men give one another as a sign of kinship. With the tension gone both families converged on one another and exchanged hugs and greetings.  
"Tenchi, I want you to meet your cousin, Ranma." Genma introduced his son to Tenchi.  
"Hi, I've been waiting a long time to finally meet you." Tenchi said in greeting, extending his hand.  
"Your grandfather's letters said a lot about you, too." Replied Ranma, accepting the handshake.  
"Nothing bad I hope." Tenchi joked.  
"Nah, only that you really need to learn to focus better." Ranma laughed, scratching the back of his head. Aeka and Ryoko caught onto the movement and both went, "Hmmm." "That's grandpa alright." Tenchi replied trying to hide his grimace.  
"Hello, my name is Aeka, you must be Akane, Ranma's intended." Aeka smiled at the young girl. "Hi, nice to meet you, are you one of Tenchi cousins?" asked Akane. Aeka giggled a little girlishly. "Oh, no, I am his betrothed." She said with a happy smile.  
In a sudden flash one of the most beautiful women Akane had ever seen, the girl with the cyan hair, was up in Aeka's face. "Since when are you his betrothed!" she screamed. "Tenchi's was mine before you even showed up!"  
Nabiki held out her hand towards Akane. "Pay up, I win the bet." She smiled. Akane sighed and slapped a thousand yen into her hand. So, Ranma isn't the only guy to be cursed with having multiple girls chasing after him. Must run in the family, she thought.  
"Oh, please stop fighting." Pleaded a very pretty young blonde with dark tanned skin.  
Ranma and Tenchi both watched the exchange and sweatdropped at the same time. "Yep, we're related alright." Ranma sighed.  
  
The new dining room was just large enough for everyone to sit at the new table. Kasumi volunteered to help Sasami bring out some snacks for everyone, two platters of fresh baked cupcakes and pitcher of iced tea. Noboyuki brought out a large bottle of saki and passed out glasses to Tendo and Saotome and Katsuhito. Aeka poured herself a large glass of saki and downed it in one gulp.  
"Take it easy there, Aeka." Noboyuki laughed.  
"After what happened outside, I needed that." She replied.  
"These are really good, almost as good a yours Kasumi." Ranma cheered after trying to cupcake.  
"I made them fresh this morning." Smiled Sasami.  
"You should see the feast she prepared for dinner tonight, and you all though I was a good cook." Kasumi laughed.  
Akane looked around the room and thought it strange that they should have a fully lighted and decorated Christmas tree up in the summer time. "Ah, Mr. Masaki, may I ask, why do you have a Christmas tree out?" she asked the elder Masaki.  
"It not a Christmas tree, it's a Summer Startica tree." Sasami piped in.  
"Startica, what's that?" asked a confused Ranma.  
Katsuhito cleared his throat and everyone looked his way. "Today is a special occasion, I made a terrible mistake many years ago and the price I paid was to never see my darling eldest daughter ever again." He said. "Now, we have come full circle and are back together again, but the circle is not yet complete." The old priest stood up and walked towards the patio door. "Ranma, Tenchi come with me." He told them.  
  
Katsuhito lead the pair through the woods until they reached a small clearly at the edge of the lake. The old priest motioned towards a tree, a massive one at that, standing in a pool of crystal clear water. The old man stopped just at the edge of the pool and turned towards them.  
"We brought you out here Ranma because there is a secret about your true heritage you much learn." The old priest explained. "Tenchi, did you bring what I asked?" he went on to ask.  
"Yeah," Tenchi replied and pulled something out of his shirt. Ranma looked at it curiously, it was a wooden sword hilt that didn't have a blade. On one end there were three curious red stones that almost seemed to be 'glowing'.  
"What is that?" Ranma asked.  
"It is the Tenchi-Ken, the Master Key, a symbol of your true heritage." Katsuhito explained. "Reach out and take it into your hand."  
Tenchi held out the end with the three gems towards Ranma. Hesitant at first Ranma reach out with his hand, then snatched it back as the hilt suddenly began to spew forth sparks. "Have no fear in your heart, reach out and take the Master Key into your hand!" the old priest said in a commanding tone.  
Ranma reached out again and the sparks flew again. He clenched his eyes and steeled himself for the expected pain as his hand wrapped around the hilt. Nothing. Ranma opened his eyes, Tenchi released his end of the hilt, so now he was the only one holding it. Tenchi looked at his grandfather expectantly. "So, its true." The young man said.  
"Yes, Tenchi, there are now 'two' Crown Princes of Jurai." Katsuhito announced.  
"I, I don't understand any of this." A confused Ranma scratched his head.  
The old priest stepped out onto stepping stones that linked the edge of the pool with the tree and waved for Ranma to follow. "Come, and all will finally be fully revealed to you." He said. Ranma, followed by Tenchi, walked across the stones to where the old priest stood.  
"Focus your thoughts, will the secrets of your heritage to be revealed and tap the Master Key to the tree three times." Katsuhito commanded. Ranma did as he was told, focused his thoughts on the task at hand and tapped the metal barbed end of the sword hilt against the tree three times. The hilt sparked once, then a cascade of light came down like a shower out of the tree branches. Ranma looked up, the light beams were coming out of the very 'leaves'!  
"What's going on!" Ranma shouted as his vision was blinded by a white light. When he could see again Ranma was no longer beside the tree but standing on a hill surrounded by vast a plains of swaying grass. In the far distance he could see a beautiful tree, but its size was monstrous compared to the buildings underneath it. He looked up into the blue sky and gasped at what he saw. In the sky above was the edge of what looked like a ring system like what Saturn has, and in the distance beyond the faint outline of two moons.  
"Oh my god." Was all he could manage.  
"Beautiful isn't it." Came the voice of the old man from one side. Ranma glanced his way quickly, the old man was walked up the hill towards him with Tenchi not far behind.  
"Where, where are we?" Ranma asked after finding his voice.  
"We are still where we were when you tapped the Master Key against the tree, this place is being projected into your mind by the tree, Fonaho-Oh." The old priest explained.  
"This place, it isn't Earth, is it?" said Ranma as a statement rather than a question.  
"No it is not," replied Katsuhito. "What you see is the place of your heritage, Jurai."  
"What are you?" Ranma asked, almost afraid of the answer.  
"I am the former First Prince of Jurai, a member of the royal family, my rank has passed on to Tenchi." Katsuhito explained. "And you too are a member of the Royal Family of Planet Jurai."  
"You mean, my mother was, was, an alien!" Ranma shouted with a shocked expression.  
"Actually only part alien, since I am half human and my mother is an Earthling," Katsuhito told him calmly. "Neither of my two daughters knew the truth of their Juraian heritage."  
Ranma plopped down onto the ground in a lotus position and looked out over the plain towards the massive tree. "That is the Royal Palace, the seat of power for the most powerful empire in the known universe." The old priest explained.  
Tenchi sat down beside him. "I know how you feel," he said. "I was pretty shocked when I learned the truth too."  
"If we're like Royalty of some alien empire, why are you living on Earth?" Ranma asked. "That is a legitimate question requiring a legitimate answer." Katsuhito smiled.  
Tenchi had the Master Key in hand as his grandfather lead the way from the tree Fonaho-Oh along a trail that lead part way up the mountainside. They soon arrived at the rocky entrance of a large cave. Ranma looked into the darkness and could make out the silhouette of a bared door standing ajar just inside the cave entrance.  
"Seven hundred years ago, a powerful criminal name Kagato sent his minion to Jurai to steal something that would give him insights into the power possessed by the Royal Family of Jurai." Katsuhito said, recounting the story. "His minion caused terrible death and destruction across Jurai until I forced her to flee, and chased her here to this place. We fought down there, where the lake is now today, and after I defeated her I locked her up in this cave. Kagato's minion was being controlled, she wasn't allowed individual will, so when I defeated her his control over her ceased. I had to hide her to protect her from becoming his slave again. That woman was Ryoko, the cyan haired woman you met today."  
"Both our spaceships, my Fonaho-Oh, and her Ryo-Ohki were destroyed, so I had no way of returning to Jurai." Katsuhito went on. "I worked my way into the trust of a shrine keeper who lived near here and I married his daughter. With the dowry he gave us I built the Masaki shrine here so I could keep watch over Ryoko's cave. In my lifetime I've seen emperors rise and fall, I witnessed the savagery and senselessness of countless wars, and all the while I kept her secret and safe. In the early half of the 1960's I married Isuki, your grandmother, and we had two daughters. Our eldest was your mother Ranma, and my youngest was Tenchi's mother. Not a soul since my arrival here on Earth knew of my secret origins."  
"Then, about three years ago Tenchi freed Ryoko from her cave and she came to live with us." Katsuhito sat down on a rock to continue the story, Ranma was hanging on every word wanting to know everything. "Soon after Aeka and Sasami, both my half-sisters since we have the same father but different mothers, and they were looking for me. You see, Aeka and I were betrothed, but there was a terrible prejudice against myself and my mother for our non-Juraian heritage. I did not reveal my true identity to Aeka until Kagato finally arrived to reclaim Ryoko. This was also the same time that Tenchi learned of his true heritage."  
"There is just so much to take in, it's like some surreal dream." Said Ranma.  
"You get used to it." Tenchi reassured him and patted his cousin's shoulder.  
"What happened next?" Ranma asked, curious to hear the rest of the tale.  
"I fought Kagato but he managed to escape with Ryoko, so Tenchi and the other others went after him." The old man continued.  
"You haven't met Ryo-Ohki yet, but she is Ryoko's spaceship, a living space ship." Tenchi continued the tale. "She carried a portion of Aeka's starship which crashed to Earth and contained her tree Ryuohl. We attacked Kagato's spaceship and Aeka instructed me in how to used a defensive feature of her ship called the Light Hawk Wings, but they can also be used to attack. The process of attacking with the wings leaves you defenseless for a while afterwards, and it was just long enough for Kagato to blow up the portion of the ship I was in."  
"How did you get out alive?" Ranma asked, the initial shock of all of this was starting to wear off but more questions were lingering.  
"I'm not sure how I did." Tenchi sighed. "I remember waking up inside another spaceship called the Tsunami, a ship owned by Sasami, and the tree appeared to me in human form and told me that the others were fighting Kagato inside his ship. Tsunami helped me get onto his ship, and when I got there I confronted him."  
"You defeated him I assume then." Stated Ranma.  
"Tsunami told me to trust in my own power, and when things looked darkest the most amazing thing happened." Tenchi explained. "I was able to generate and use Light Hawk Wings, actually generate then from within my body, and I used them to kill Kagato."  
Ranma leaned forward holding his head in his hands. "I was expecting to get a lecture about family history, but I never imagined it would sound like the plot from 'Star Wars'." Moaned Ranma.  
"We're sorry we had to spring this on you like this, but it was the only way we could figure out how to tell you and have you believe us." Tenchi apologized.  
"I need some time to sort this all out." Ranma told them.  
"You will have all the time you need, since you'll be staying most of the summer." Katsuhito said.  
"How am I going to explain this to Dad, to Akane." Ranma groaned. Tenchi patted him on the back. "Oh, don't worry, that part is being taken care of already." He smiled.  
  
Akane, Nabiki, and Kasumi were slapping their thighs in laughter at the antics of a little furred creature. Kasumi had spotted Ryo-Ohki first and thought her absolutely adorable. Ryo-Ohki was now in her adolescent form doing the little 'Meow Meow' dance she performed for the King of Jurai. Tendo and Saotome both had several empty saki bottles in front of them. It had been one hell of a day for them, but the girls were taking everything in stride and were actually enjoying themselves.  
"I'm amazed at how well you're taking all of this." Aeka said to Akane.  
"Well, Princess Aeka, I always suspected Ranma was a little spacey." Akane giggled. Tendo and Saotome both groaned at the pun and took a long drag from their eighth bottle of saki.  
It all started shortly after Katsuhito left with Tenchi and Ranma. Akane was enjoying one of the pastries Sasami baked while her father and Saotome talked with Noboyuki. She suddenly felt something furry pass between her legs and she jumped.  
"AH! Something brushed past my leg!" she cried.  
"A mouse!" Nabiki screamed seeing a flash of movement under the table.  
Kasumi looked under the table then smiled. "Oh, it's a cute rabbit, you two should be ashamed of yourselves." She scolded them and reached down. What she came up with didn't look like any rabbit any of them had ever seen. In fact, it looked like some kind of hybrid between a rabbit and a cat.  
"That's Ryo-Ohki, she's like a member of the family." Smiled Sasami.  
"Ryo-Ohki, oh, she's adorable!" Kasumi gushed hugging the little creature.  
"Miya!" the cabbit cheered happily.  
"WAH! Did that rabbit just meow!" Akane said wide eyed.  
"Ryo-Ohki isn't a rabbit, she's a Cabbit." Sasami corrected her.  
"What, what is a Cabbit?" Nabiki asked.  
Aeka and Ryoko both let out an "Uh oh!" as the room suddenly fell dark. A single bright spotlight suddenly appeared silhouetting Washu in her Galactic Academy robes. "That is a good question, Miss. Tendo." She said. A video screen descended out of the invisible ceiling and a picture of Ryo-Ohki appeared. "This is a Cabbit." Washu pointed to the picture with her pointer.  
"A Cabbit is a hybrid inorganic life form created by melding the best attributes of a Masu with a species of mineral life from the planet Theta." Washu explained as representations of the other two creatures appeared on the video display. She snapped her fingers and the room returned to normal. Everyone, save for Aeka and Ryoko, looked at her with dumbfounded expressions.  
"Washu, you baka we weren't supposed to tell them that way!" Ryoko shouted at her.  
"That is no way to talk to your mother, Little Ryoko." Washu replied calmly.  
"Mother my butt, and stop calling me Little Ryoko!" Ryoko screamed without noticing that in her anger she was now hovering off the ground.  
Tendo and Saotome both looked like they were about to pass out but came to when Noboyuki handed each a bottle of saki. "The initial shock will wear off in a day or so, but you get used to the rest." He said calmly.  
"Please don't be afraid, we were going to tell you eventually since you are family, but not quite like this." Aeka explained to the three girls who all looked terrified.  
"Who are you, really?" Akane asked with a shaken voice.  
"I am Princess Aeka of planet Jurai, my half-brother is the elderly man you know as Katsuhito, and thus Ranma and Tenchi are both Crown Princes of Jurai Royal Family." Aeka explained.  
Nabiki came out of her fear almost immediately. "Did you say Ranma is a prince, a real prince as in rolling in riches, living in the lap of royal luxury?" she asked excitedly.  
Aeka nodded smiling. "Akane, you know you and Ranma don't really get along that well, so why don't I take over the duties of fiancé for you." Nabiki said to her sister smiling and fluttering her eyelashes.  
"NABIKI!" Akane shouted in wide eyed shock.  
"So this means you're all aliens?" Kasumi asked.  
"Most of us are, but in the case of Ranma and Tenchi they are only part alien, and their grandfather is half-human." Washu explained.  
"I need another drink." Saotome said, a fresh bottle handed to him. He immediately took a long swigged off of it.  
"But, I don't get it, if you're all royalty why live here?" Akane asked.  
"That is one long story, sister." Ryoko slurred then took a deep chug off the big saki bottle.  
"I think I'm going to need one of those too." Sighed Akane.  
  
Katsuhito sat with his two grandsons on the steps of the Masaki shrine sipping tea. The view from here was breath taking with the sun setting behind the mountain and casting crimson light over the lake far below. Along the way to the shrine Katsuhito explained that every member of the Jurai Royal Family possessed what was called the Power of Jurai, but Tenchi's was unique among the royals. Ranma began to wonder how much of his own abilities were manifestations of his inherited powers.  
"Using and controlling the power of Jurai is a great responsibility, thus I would like you to train with me and Tenchi so you may learn how to control your abilities and harness them better." Katsuhito suggested.  
"Sure, I would be honored, grandfather." Ranma smiled.  
"Have you ever fought with a sword?" Tenchi asked.  
"Only a few times, I'm not that great with it." Ranma admitted.  
"Grandpa is the best swordsman around, on all of the Earth actually." Tenchi smiled.  
Ranma laughed, "I know someone who would walk a thousand miles to challenge that claim if he ever heard what you just said." Tenchi laughed with him, "We have enough trouble with the aliens wanting to do that without attracting such problems down here."  
The three were returning to the house now and just reached the bottom of the stairs. Tenchi had suspected there would have been chaos at the house by now, but the laughter of the girls that drifted on the wind to his ears could only be a good sign that things went well. Ranma took a detour and headed for the lake. He gasped in surprise and looked up into the air at an incredible sight. A huge piece of the Earth with a translucent bubble surrounding it hovered motionless above the lake. Streams of water jetted out of the bottom of the object into the lake.  
"What is that?" Ranma asked in awe.  
"That's the onsen, or bath house so to speak." Smiled Tenchi.  
"That is an onsen, its huge." Ranma gasped.  
Tenchi laughed, "Wait until you decide to take a bath, it is even more impressive from the inside."  
Tenchi and Katsuhito started for the house expecting Ranma to follow, but they stopped when they noticed Ranma hadn't moved. The young man looked out over the lake then turned to them. A resolute look covered his face. "Tenchi, grandfather, you revealed an important secret to me today, so now it is my turn to reveal one to you." He said. The two walked back to where Ranma was standing, then with immense curiosity they watched as the young man walked out into the water of the lake. He stopped a short distance out, turned around, grabbed his nose and ducked under the surface. When Ranma came back up she tried not to laugh at the curiously hilarious expressions on their faces.  
Ranma walked out of the water wringing her clothes out, then tied up her tunic like a halter top. With that done she turned around to make sure the two men of the Masaki family got a very good look. Katsuhito recovered from the initial shock fairly quickly and now had a bemused smiled on his lips. Tenchi was still wide eyed a bit, but his expression hides the fury of the emotional storm within him. It took nearly every ounce of his concentration to keep from nose bleeding. Ranma had somehow gone from being a handsome, dark hair young teenage boy to a curvaceous, very well endowed young red headed 'teenage girl'.  
"This is very interesting." The old priest said pushing back his spectacles.  
"H-h-how?" Tenchi stuttered.  
"Have you ever heard of a place in China called Josenkyo?" asked Ranma.  
Katsuhito let out a low, "Hmmm". "That would indeed explain this." He said in a matter of fact like manner. "What is it, grandpa?" Tenchi asked, his curiosity peeked. "When you've lived as long as I have you hear about a great many myths and legends, and the legend of the cursed springs of Josenkyo are just one of them." Katsuhito replied. Ranma laughed, it came out more like a girlish giggle, "Well, its more than just a myth, I'm living proof of that."  
"How do you, well, uh, change back to normal?" asked Tenchi, he was now trying to avoid direct eye contact with his now very beautiful 'female' cousin.  
"Getting splashed with cold water changes me but hot water changes me back." Ranma explained. "How long have you been like this?" asked Tenchi. Ranma pursed her lips and looked into the air as if thinking. "Oh, about four or five years if I can remember." She said. Tenchi turned to 'her' in shock saying, "Four or five years, how have you been able to live with this?"  
"Well, it was pretty bothersome in the beginning," Ranma explained. "But over time I got used to it, and in truth it's actually helped me out at different times." Katsuhito nods his head and adds, "Yes, things like this many times occur for a reason or purpose, perhaps it was meant for this to happen to you grandson, or should I say 'granddaughter'." The old man gave her an amused smirk when he said 'granddaughter', and Ranma just looked at him acidly then laughed in spite of herself.  
"I suppose we deserved this after giving you such a shock today." The old man went on to say. The three of them shared a good laugh together as they walked towards the house.  
  
The three found the atmosphere inside the Masaki home to be happy and gleeful. The three Tendo sisters were laughing and giggling as Ryo-Ohki did her little dance, transformed into a large floating crystal, and then back into her small Cabbit form.  
"She's so adorable!" Kasumi cried.  
"Say, what's going on?" Ranma asked.  
"Everyone in the room turned at the sound of the female voice. The Tendo girls were familiar with Ranma's problem but Aeka and Ryoko were still clueless, and when they saw a very beautiful red headed girl standing too close to Tenchi they reacted in a manner Tenchi himself hoped they would not.  
"Tenchi, who is this girl?" Aeka demanded.  
"Yeah, who are you, and what are you doing with my Tenchi?" Ryoko growled.  
"Uh, girls, this is Ranma." Tenchi explained pointing at the girl.  
"Impossible!" gasped Aeka.  
"Sasami, would you please go to the kitchen and get us some hot water." Tenchi said to the little girl. "Sure, Tenchi." The child smiled and skipped away.  
"I can see you have all had a good time since we left." Katsuhito said looking at the huge collection of saki bottles on the table. Sasami returned with a steaming water kettle. Ranma leaned down towards her, Sasami remarked to herself that the girl really was very pretty. "Ok, pour it on me." The girl told her.  
"Pour the hot water, on you?" asked Sasami curiously.  
"Go ahead." Tenchi told her. Sasami lifted the kettle and poured the water on the girl. Instantly her hair changed from red to black, her feminine features vanished, and the young 'man' who was Ranma now stood in her place.  
"Oh my goodness!" gasped Mihoshi.  
"How could this be?" Aeka gasped.  
"It's a long story." Ranma, now a guy, said.  
Ryoko flashed him a humorously crooked smile and said, "Oh I've got to hear this one."  
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CONTINUED IN PART 3...  
  
FAMILY REUNION - PART 3: Uninvited Guests  
  
Ranma recovers from the initial shock of learning his true heritage, he has even begun to come to grips with his feelings towards Akane, but two uninvited guests don't like the situation at all. If fact, they intend to get rid of him, for good. 


	3. Family Reunion Part 3

DISCLAIMER: The copyrights to Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki is owned by AIC Inc. and Pioneer LDC respectively. The copyrights to Ranma 1/2 are owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Pioneer LDC respectively. This work of fiction is not created for commercial purposes and is done for fan entertainment only without profit.  
__________  
  
F A M I L Y R E U N I O N  
  
PART 3: Uninvited Guests  
  
By Michael "TheZorch" Haney  
__________  
  
Ranma sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He looked around the room and was surprised to see Tenchi was already up and about. The clock on the bed side table said it was only seven in the morning. That kids get up early, he said to himself. It had been a very interesting day and night yesterday, so many revelations had some out. Ranma didn't really think about them at the moment as he yawned and climbed off his futon. He fished his toothbrush and paste out of his luggage and headed for the bathroom. Luckily Tenchi had shown him around the house before they went to bed that night so he could find where the bathroom was. The new Second Prince of Jurai shambled his way up the hall towards the upstairs bathroom, really a half-bath, and froze in his tracks when he heard a piercing scream from the bedroom girls all shared.  
Ranma sighed heavily, "Happosai no baka."  
Sure enough the diminutive old pervert came crashing through the doorway with a huge bag full of bras and panties. All of the girl, Akane and her sisters, Princess Aeka, and little Princess Sasami raced out of the door in hot pursuit. So enraged were they that they didn't even notice that they were all nearly half dressed.  
"Give those back you old pervert!" Akane screamed.  
"How dare you touch my unmentionables!" Aeka cried.  
"What a haul, what a haul, Hehehehe!" the old pervert shouted gleefully.  
Ranma groaned and joined the chase. He knew if he didn't stop the old fool these alien women might turn some ray gun on him or something, and though he was a total pain in the ass most of the time he was the Master of the Anything Goes Martial Arts Dojo after all. Downstairs Ryoko lounged on the couch watching television when the procession raced through the living room. She gave them a brief glance and did a Spock Maneuver. Suddenly, she noticed something, someone or something was feeling her up! She looked down at the strangest creature she had ever seen, it looked like an old man, but he was shorter than Sasami.  
"Now you are what I call a 'real' woman." The old man sighs as he squeezes both of her large firm breasts.  
The ex-space pirate leaps into the air with an ear piercing scream that catches everybody's attention. The girls who had been chasing the old man turned around and watched as the old man went flying as Ryoko flew into the air.  
"That-that-thing just felt me up!" Ryoko cried in rage.  
"Uh, ho, he got Ryoko." Said Sasami.  
"We'd better duck and cover!" cried Mihoshi.  
"Why?" asked Akane. As if in answer to her question a bright glowing ball formed in Ryoko's hand and transformed into a long, slender shaft of blue light in her fist. "Prepare to die!" she bellowed and threw herself at the old pervert.  
"GGGGGGGRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!" Ryoko screamed, her face a mask of certain death. "I'LL GET YOU, NOBODY TOUCHES ME BUT MY TENCHI!!!!"  
"What's going on, I can hardly do any work with all this noise!" Washu yelled from her lab door. The diminutive genius sweatdropped as she watched her daughter dart around chasing a tiny old man around the room. Ranma hit the bottom of the stairs and could do nothing but stand and watch in total fascination. Happosai was truly enjoying himself without realizing the real mortal danger he was in. Things were going to quickly get out of control, so Ranma ran into the fray and dropped kicked the old man to the floor.  
Tenchi chose this moment to run into the house. He'd been outside when he heard the commotion and ran as fast as he could. He froze solid when he reached living room, his gaze had fallen on Aeka who was standing there wearing nothing but a pair of pink, panties and bra. A second later a trickle of blood dripped form his nose and he fell backwards to the floor. Suddenly realizing her half-dressed appearance Aeka tries to cover herself with her arms and blushes furiously.  
"You little lecher, don't you cause enough trouble back home, now you gotta go and cause more here!" Ranma yelled at the semi-conscious old man he held in his hand.  
"But there are so many gorgeous women in this house, I couldn't control myself." Happosai whined.  
Ranma shook the old pervert and yelled back, "When the hell do you ever control yourself!"  
"Who or what is this, whatever it is?" Washu asks.  
"He's Happosai, the dojo sensei to my father and Mr. Saotome, unfortunately." Akane explained.  
"He's always running around chasing women and stealing their panties and stuff." Said Nabiki. "He's addicted to it."  
Ryoko points her sword at the old man growling low in her throat, "Hold him still and I'll cure him of all his ills."  
"Down girl," Washu laughed pushing Ryoko's sword arm away. "I have a better idea." A Cheshire cat grin spreads over the genius' face. "Bring him to my lab, Little Ryoko." She goes on and leads the way. Ranma hands his package to the cyan haired woman and watches them vanish into the broom closet door.  
"Better him than me." Tenchi breathed as he recovered and climbed up off the floor.  
"We'd better go get dressed girls." Nabiki told them when she realized she was in nothing more than a pair of panties. Tenchi had turned around when she spoke and got an eye full. The middle Tendo sister was anything but unattractive, and had endowments that would have made Ryoko jealous. The girls winced as the young man for a second time passed out on the floor.  
"Geeze, you'd think he never saw a girl naked before." Ranma scratched the back of his head, a blush on his face as he looked away from the half-dressed women.  
  
Some distance outside the Masaki home two figures hid within the forest underbrush. A third figure wearing an all black ninjitsu costume came running towards them while keeping to the shadows. He stopped before the two that were hiding and bowed low.  
"What have you seen, report." Commanded Tatawaki Kuno.  
"It is amazing, but you will not believe what I have learned master." The short, bucktoothed ninja reported. "Speak." Kuno demanded.  
"This is unimaginable but I have learned that Ranma's relatives are, not of this world," the little man went on. "And that he himself is one of them."  
"Not of this world?" Ryoga Habiki asked, confused. "What do you mean by that?"  
"I overheard the old Shinto priest and the other young man who is Ranma's cousin that they are in fact, extraterrestrials." The ninja told them.  
"Aliens!" Kuno and Ryoga both gasped.  
"Can it truly be?" said Ryoga. His was more a statement than a question to the little diminutive ninja.  
The three heard a sound at the house. Turned to watch as the lovely blonde woman they had seen the other day ran from the house wearing some kind of blue uniform. "I'll be back in a few hours." She called towards the house. She ran out onto the pier, pulled something from her pocket, and then vanished into thin air. An instant later an object began to rise out of the lake. It was a spaceship! The ship turned slightly away from the Masaki house then raced across the sky at an incredible speed and disappeared into the blue.  
"It's true, they really are aliens." Ryoga said in shock.  
"At last, now I realize why Akane Tendo will not acknowledge her true love, for she is being controlled by the 'vile alien fiend' Ranma Saotome." Kuno growled.  
"We have to do something, there is no telling what they could be doing to Akane in there!" Ryoga exclaimed. Images of the three Tendo sisters strapped to metal tables being administered anal probes by a horde of short gray, big headed aliens flashed through his mind.  
"Patience my friend, I propose a truce, first we subdue the 'vile' beast Ranma Saotome, and then we fight for the hand of the lovely Akane Tendo in an honorable duel, agreed." Said Kuno as he offered his hand. Ryoga took saying, "Agreed, for Akane."  
"But, how are we going to get to Ranma with the others around?" Ryoga asked. At the house, a young girl of perhaps eight years old with sky blue hair came out of the back door carrying a large garbage bag.  
"How else to capture a beast, my dear Ryoga Habiki, but by use bait." Smiled Kuno.  
  
With all of the commotion in the house finally settled down, for now, Tenchi and Ranma decided to relax on the couch and watch some television. Mr. Tendo and Mr. Saotome were at the dinner table with Katsuhito playing a game of chess. Aeka, Ryoko, and two of the Tendo sisters were enjoying some morning tea. Kasumi came out of the kitchen wearing oven mitts, and had a worried look on her face.  
"Has anyone seen Sasami?" she asked.  
"I thought she was with you in the kitchen." Said Ryoko.  
"She went to take the trash out and hasn't returned." Kasumi replied.  
"How long ago?" asked Aeka.  
"About twenty minutes or so." Kasumi told her.  
Tenchi got up and headed for the kitchen. "I'll find her, she might be gathering vegetables in the storage shed." He said. Tenchi passed through the kitchen and went out the back door. The shed which was attached to the house was still locked up. He decided to check around the house where the garbage container was kept. He froze in his tracks at what he saw. A bag of trash lay on the ground, next to it was one of Sasami's shoes. Sticking out of the shoe was a rolled up piece of paper. Tenchi grabbed it up and unrolled it as fast as his hands could work the paper. As he read the message he gasped in horror.  
"Aeka, Ranma!" Tenchi cried as he ran back to the living room.  
"Lord Tenchi, what is it?" Aeka asked with concern.  
"I found this note in one of Sasami's shoes outside, it's addressed to Ranma." He said handing the note to Ranma. The Saotome boy opened it and read it out loud, "Ranma Saotome, if you do not wish anything unfortunate to happen to the young blue haired girl you will come to the great majestic tree just south of the Shinto shrine, come alone. Signed, the Avengers of Akane Tendo."  
Aeka screamed in horror. "Sasami's been kidnapped!" Ryoko gasped. "Who would do such a thing?" Kasumi asked in concern.  
"I recognize this chicken scratch anywhere." Ranma said in a low growl. Akane took the note and looked at it. "You're right, I've seen this handwriting before, and it's pretty awful." She said. Ranma clenched his teeth as he made a fist, the joints in his fingers popped loudly. "Tatawaki Kuno." He snarled.  
"Kuno baby is many things but not a kidnapper." Said Nabiki.  
"This is his handwriting, I'm sure of it." Ranma replied.  
Aeka slammed her hands onto the table and leaped to her feet. "I demand you tell me who this malefactor is!" she shouted.  
"He's our sempai at Fureinken High School back in Nerima." Said Akane. "Why would he kidnap Sasami?" asked Tenchi. "Easy, he's got a huge crush on Akane and is probably doing this to force me to fight him for her." Ranma explained.  
"Please, Lord Tenchi you much get my sister back!" Aeka pleaded.  
"No, he said for me to come alone, I'll get Sasami back." Said Ranma.  
"I should come, to watch your back." Tenchi suggested.  
"Alright, but hold back so he doesn't see you, I'll distract him and you grab Sasami and take her home." Ranma told him. "Sounds like a plan." Tenchi agreed.  
  
The great tree in question, Ranma realized, had been Fonaho-Oh the space tree that belonged to his grandfather. Ranma plowed through the underbrush and came out into the clearing that surrounded the great tree. Sure enough Sasami was there tired up to the massive trunk of the Juraian tree. Ranma looked around but didn't see anyone else.  
"Ranma, it's a trap!" Sasami cried as the young Saotome rushed towards her intending to free her. From the tree branches above a dark shape lunged towards him holding a bokken. Ranma dodge out of the way as Kuno landed on his feet and in a Kendo fighting stance.  
"Your rein of evil ends this day Ranma Saotome!" Kuno exclaimed.  
"Have you lost your marbles Kuno!" spat Ranma.  
"Silence, fiend!" Kuno cried as he ran taking several swipes at Ranma's head. "With your demise I shall free the fair Akane Tendo from your vile spells." Ranma leapt out of Kuno's reach and landed on one of Fonaho-Oh's great branches. "Free Akane, what the hell are you talking about?" Ranma asked.  
"Do not play dumb with me, Ranma Saotome, alien demon!" Kuno shouted back. Alien demon, oh no, how did he find out about my heritage, Ranma thought. Kuno jumped toward Ranma swinging his bokken. The young Saotome dodged out of the way, but only just barely. He felt a stinging feeling on his arm, and when he looked his shirt sleeve was cleanly cut and he was bleeding slightly.  
"Hey, that thing's sharp, your gonna hurt somebody!" Ranma yelled at him. "Oh but that is exactly the point." Kuno said calmly. The wooden bokken suddenly cracked in half down the middle and fell to the ground revealing a long, slender, finely crafted blade. Oh my god, he's actually out to kill me, Ranma realized in horror.  
"The sword of Kuno shall taste your blood this day Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendo will be avenged!" Kuno bellowed as he ran with the sword held high. Ranma didn't have time to avoid the swing, he grabbed a rock off the ground and the blade sent up a shower of sparks as it struck. Out of the corner of his eye Ranma saw Tenchi pull Sasami down off the tree. With the little girl safe Ranma decided not to pull any punches now. This was getting way too serious.  
Ranma planted his hands on the ground, lifted himself up, and swung his legs out to trip the delusional upperclassman. Kuno went down with a yelp. Ranma leapt to his feet and started to reach down for the prone man. Something yellow came out of nowhere and wrapped around his body pinning his arms.  
"Ryoga!" Ranma shouted in surprise.  
Young Ryoga Habiki stepped out of the underbrush with a satisfied grin on his face. "Well Ranma, I suppose this is finally the end." He said.  
"You too!" Ranma snarled. "Have you both gone nuts!"  
"Kuno, finish it!" Ryoga exclaimed. Ranma saw Kuno in the corner of his eye and tried to duck but the sword came in too fast. Ranma knew he'd never be able to avoid the swing, the angle would certainly cut off his head or at the very least hurt him severely. The pain never came, however. Ranma opened his eyes, next to him Katsuhito Masaki held a bokken against Kuno's blade. The two struggled against one another their swords shaking with the force.  
"This does not concern you, old one." Kuno grunted.  
"It does when it involves the life of my grandson." Katsuhito replied menacingly. "Ranma go, I will deal with this one." He went on.  
Ranma flexed his muscles breaking the bandana that pinned his arms and ran. He heard running footsteps behind him and knew it had to be Ryoga following him. They both ran for what seemed like an eternity until Ranma broke out into a clearing and the entrance to a cave. It's Ryoko's cave, he realized. Ryoga was close behind, he yelled at the top of his lungs and threw a barrage of bandanas. The spinning things shot past Ranma as he dodged each one. A crackling sound behind him caught his attention, he turned around and realized the bandanas had acted like spinning blades chopping the sapling behind him into kindling.  
"I will avenge what you've done to Akane!" Ryoga cried.  
"What have I done to Akane to make you guys do this?" Ranma asked.  
Ryoga tossed more bandanas and shouted, "Don't play me for a fool, I know you're using some alien power to control Akane's mind so she won't show her true feelings for me!"  
"Ryoga no baka!" Ranma shouted back. "I only just learned of my alien heritage just yesterday, and I'm only part alien!"  
"Lies!" Ryoga shouted. "You will never harm the woman I love ever again!" he shouted holding up his hands forming a glowing ball of energy. Ryoga's energy blast caught Ranma in the chest throwing him backwards towards the cave. He hit the rocks shattering one of them and sending stone fragments high into the air. Ranma groaned, his entire body ached with pain. He tried to move but his body just would not respond.  
"Now, you die." Ryoga said calmly reaching for another bandana.  
"NOOOOOO!!!!" came a shrill cry. Akane came running and threw herself on top of Ranma shielding him with her body.  
"Akane, this has to be done, you'll understand once I-" Ryoga tried to explain, but the look of total disgust and rage on Akane's face made him take a step back.  
"I could never imagine that you and Kuno could ever step this low." She said calmly, but the tremor in her voice showed she was suppressing her rage. "I considered you a friend, Ryoga, how could you do this to Ranma."  
Ryoga tried to reach for her, but Akane slapped away his hand. "Akane, its his evil making you talk that way, I can free you-" he tried to tell her.  
"Is that what you think is going on?" she asked, rage still on her face. "You know don't you, about his true heritage, don't you, that's why you and Kuno are doing this." Tears welled up in her eyes as the words formed, words that came from the bottom of her heart to sting like the sharp end of a dagger. "How can I ever love someone who would kill in cold blood, I hate you, I hate you both!!!!" Ryoga dropped the bandana he grasped in his hand and feel to his knees. A vision came to his mind, he and Akane stood face to face with one another when suddenly a massive, black expanse suddenly appeared and separated the two of them with no way to cross. He clasped his hands to his face and wept, "Oh god, what have I done!"  
Akane frantically brushed away the dirt and rock out of Ranma's face. His eyes were closed. She felt for his pulse, it was weak. "Ranma, Ranma please wake up, please!" she sobbed. "Don't you die on me, damn you, don't you die on me," she continued shouting at him. "I love you!" she cried and collapsed on his chest weeping. She felt a hand touch the back of her head and she looked up to see Ranma's eyes partially opened. "Ranma!" she cried and hugged him.  
"A-Akane, y-you s-said you-" Ranma tried to say. "If you had died I would have never forgiven myself." She sobbed. "I'll admit it, alright, I love you, heaven help me, but I love you Ranma." She went on weeping.  
"Akane, I lo-." Ranma breathed as the darkness of unconsciousness took him.  
  
Ranma opened his eyes, his surroundings were nothing but one big blur. He blinked a few times as things began to come into focus. His surroundings were unlike anything he'd ever seen before, it was indescribable what he saw. What he could discern from the plethora of strange alien objects were several massive aquatic tanks housing all manner of bizarre yet beautiful sea creatures. Ranma tried to sit up but a firm hand held him down. He looked to his right and met Akane's concerned gaze.  
"Akane." He said softly. "Was I dreaming, I heard you say-"  
"Look, Ranma, what I said out there, I-" she stammered, her face flushed red.  
Ranma reached out and touched her arm, his fingers caressing her soft skin. He never realized just how soft Akane's skin was until now. He felt something deep inside of him, where it came from he did not know, but it was powerful. He felt it once before and resisted it, but no longer.  
"Akane, listen to me," he said. "I've, I've been really mean to you, I called you some really unflattering names and stuff." He could see tears forming in the young woman's eyes. "What you said out there has made me really rethink a lot of things, what has been happening recently has made me think a lot actually." He went on. "Ranma." Akane said surprised.  
"I'm glad to be your fiancé," he told her. "I would never trade that for anything in the world."  
"Ranma, does this mean-" Akane started to ask, her heart was beating in her chest like a kettle drum. Without saying a word Ranma pulled her close, reached a hand behind her neck gently, and pulled her into a tender but passionate kiss.  
"That is so touching I could just cry." Mihoshi whispered. "They look so cute together." Kasumi whispered also. Washu and Nabiki grabbed the two and pulled them towards the door to the Masaki house. "Come on girls, let's give them some space." Said Nabiki as they disappeared.  
  
In the living room Tatawaki Kuno and Ryoga Habiki sat in a corner with Azaka and Kamadake hovering on either side of them. Ryoga said nothing and only had a blank look on his face. Kuno sat rocking back and forth holding the hilt of his shattered sword in his hand. As the reining champion of the Kendo Club at Fureinken High School Kuno thought his swordsmanship skills were unbeatable, but the old priest had proven him very wrong. The sheer level of skill the man displayed in their short duel proved he had much more to learn, much more.  
"How's my boy?" Genma asked the girls.  
"I fused his broken leg and two cracked ribs back together with a bone knitter," Washu explained. "So he should be up and about by dinner time tonight."  
"Where is Akane?" Soun asked.  
Washu flashed him a broad smile, "Oh, she and Ranma are a bit busy at the moment." "What does that mean?" Genma asked, confused.  
"They were lip locked when we left the lab." Nabiki explained.  
Tendo and Saotome grabbed and hugged each other. "Saotome, could it be, could it finally be?" Soun cheered. "At last, at long last our dreams are coming true!" Genma cried. "Oh, brother." Nabiki sighed.  
"What do we do about these two?" Washu asked pointing at the pair in the corner. "They are both guilty of attempted assassination of a member of the Royal Family of Jurai, and the kidnapping of a member of the Royal Family as well." Aeka snarled angrily. "Let's wait until Ranma and Akane come out and see what they want to do with them." Said Washu.  
  
The rest of the day went by without much of an incident. Ranma and Akane didn't come out of the lab. Washu stepped inside to see if maybe they got lost inside the huge subspace complex, then quickly turned around and returned to the house. All she remembered seeing were piles of clothes strewn about on the floor around Ranma's hospital bed and two forms moving underneath a white blanket making soft moaning noises. Now, if only Tenchi were more like his cousin, Washu thought to herself.  
The sun was setting over the valley, the sky turned a deep red. The lab door opened and Akane stepped out helping Ranma walk. Kasumi and Sasami were putting the food on the table, the two other Tendo sisters were watching an alien soap opera with Aeka, Ryoko, and Washu. There was no sign of Genma and Soun anywhere. Little Ryo-Ohki was laying on the loveseat on her back snoozing away.  
"You two finally came up for air I see." Washu smiled.  
The two separated quickly, Akane blushed furiously. "It was nothing, totally innocent, really." She said. "Yeah, we didn't do anything." Said Ranma.  
"Uh huh." Washu flashed them a knowing grin. Akane flashed Ranma a 'what do we do now' look. "Dinner is ready." Kasumi announced. "First, our 'lovebirds' here have to decide what to do about these two." Washu interrupted as she walked over to the two men being held by the Jurai guardians.  
"I am prepared to take them to headquarters if you choose to press charges." Mihoshi said.  
The two young men looked up at Akane with expressions of sadness, guilt, and a little bit of fear. She looked back at them with a stern expression that made the two look at the ground in shame. "What the two of you tried to do today was almost unforgivable." She said. "I can't believe you two would actually try to kill Ranma."  
"We did it because, we love you Aka-" Ryoga started to say.  
Akane interrupted shouting, "You love me, is this how you show your feelings by trying to kill my fiancé!"  
"We were under the assumption you were being controlled by some alien means, my dearest Akane Tendo." Said Kuno.  
"Geeze, that again." Ranma groaned.  
"Get this straight, I am not and never have been under any alien control of any kind!" Akane exclaimed.  
"And, who I choose to love, and who I choose to marry is 'my' choice, not 'yours'!" she continued, balling her fists to control her rage.  
"But-" Ryoga tried to interrupt.  
Akane stepped back and stood beside Ranma. "This is what I choose, and you two are just going to have to live with it!" she told them, turned towards Ranma stood up on her toes and kissed him full on the lips. The two young men and the rest of everyone else in the room all gasped in surprise. Ranma for an instant started to instinctively push her away, but that feeling returned to squash that notion like a lead weight. Soon the who were deepening the kiss, wrapped in each other's arms. The two parted lips after several minutes but remained in each others embrace.  
"Akane, I do love you with all my heart, and I can learn to live with your decision," Ryoga cried. "Please forgive me, don't turn your back on me forever, I can live without your love, but living without your friendship would be too unbearable!" He pressed his face into his hands, tear leaking from around his fingers.  
"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to," she told him calmly. "It will be a long time before I can trust you again, Ryoga." The young man seemed slightly relieved as he nodded his head.  
Kuno put his broken sword on the ground before him. "The ancient sword of my clan is broken because, my dishonor has broken it," he said softly. "I have nothing to live for, the sword of Kuno is no more."  
"Kuno, Ryoga, what you tried to do to me today was-was-was-I can't say it, but if Akane is willing to forgive and forget then, then I will too." Ranma spoke up. "But, like she said, it's going to be a long time before we can trust the two of you again."  
"You're going to let them go, but they kidnapped Sasami!" shouted Aeka.  
"They couldn't have hurt me even if they wanted to." Sasami told her sister, tugging on her arm. "Tsunami was right there with me the whole time watching over me."  
The Tendo sisters looked at the little girl then at each other after seeing Aeka's 'oh shit' expression. "Tsunami, isn't that like one of those giant waves or something." Said Ranma. "We'll explain about that part later." Tenchi told him. Washu stepped forward with her hands on her hips. "I'll tell you this though, these two don't realize how close they came to becoming a pair of smoking craters today." She said in a matter of fact like tone.  
"Are you sure?" Aeka asked Ranma and Akane. The two nodded.  
"Azaka, Kamadake, you can lower your shield." Aeka commanded.  
"Yes ma'am." The two guardians replied. The invisible shield between flickered slightly then was gone. Kuno and Ryoga both stood up and walked up to Ranma and Akane.  
"We'll go now." Said Ryoga. They turned to leave but Sasami quickly ran around in front of them holding up her hands. "Stay for dinner at least, its alright we made plenty of food." She told them cheerfully, a forgiving smile on her face. Ranma marveled at the little girl, so willing to forgive and forget without question.  
"Sasami, after what they did!" Aeka shouted.  
"Well, if they say they are sorry first." Said Sasami.  
"We are sorry, blue hair girl, it was my idea to kidnap you." Said Kuno with his head down. "I'm sorry too, I was the one who tied you up to that tree." Said Ryoga.  
"Will you promise never to do anything like this again and behave while you are here?" Sasami asked, her face stern. The two nodded. Sasami's expression turned to joy, she grabbed their hands, and let the two men to the big dinner table. "Ok, then you two sit over here." She giggled putting them next to where Saotome and Tendo sat.  
Dinner was a wonderful feast. The lights in the dinning room were turned off so the glow from the Christmas/Startica tree could bath the room in its many colors. Kuno and Ryoga shoveled the food in, it was the best they'd ever had and were surprised to learn that Sasami had made most of it. Aeka and Ryoko, or course, sat on either side of Tenchi. Mihoshi sat the other two Tendo sisters, Katsuhito and Noboyuki sat with Soun and Tendo, and Ranma and Akane sat close together by themselves. Part way through the meal Sasami went to the kitchen and returned carrying a big multi-layered cake. Atop the huge confection was replica of the Jurai royal palace and the massive tree that stood watch over it.  
"What is that?" Ranma asked looking at the top piece on the cake.  
"That's a replica of the palace on Jurai." Sasami smiled.  
"Yes, and today marks the beginning of Startica on Jurai." Aeka added.  
Akane looked at the Christmas tree. "That's right, you mentioned something about there, that's why you got a Christmas tree up in the summer time." She said.  
"It's sort of like Christmas but we celebrate it like the Summer Star Festival here in Japan." Sasami explained.  
"Startica is celebrated for an entire month, it is the celebration of the unification of Jurai by the first Jurai King." Aeka explained.  
"Kings, palaces, do you mean to say that not only are you aliens by you are also royalty?" asked Kuno. Sasami smiled nodding her head in answer.  
"I am the First Princess of the Jurai Royal Family, Lord Tenchi here is First Prince and successor to my brother, who is his grandfather," Aeka explained. "Sasami is Second Princess of Jurai and my sister, Lord Raman is the Second Prince of Jurai by relation to my brother Lord Tenchi, and a legitimate member in the line succession to the throne." She went on.  
"Ranma Saotome is royalty." Kuno said in shock.  
"I guess we need to start calling you 'your majesty'." Said Ryoga.  
Ranma scratched the back of his head Tenchi-style. "Just Ranma will do, I'm not used to this royalty stuff yet." He said.  
"It is traditional on the first night of Startica that we have a fireworks show." Said Katsuhito. The old man held up a large satchel of different fireworks. "Yeah!" Sasami and Mihoshi both cheered.  
  
Everyone gathered outside to watch the show. Brightly colored flares and rockets shot into the sky one right after the other in near perfect succession. Ranma put his arm around his fiancé who had no objection at all. The joy on Saotome and Tendo's faces were quite evident. Sasami, Mihoshi and Kasumi 'oohed and aahed' at the exploding blossoms of fire in the sky. Aeka and Ryoko missed much of the show because the two were arguing until Tenchi defused the situation by putting his arms around each woman's waist and pulling them both close to his side. Soon it was getting late, Sasami and Ryo-Ohki were already curled up in the grass fast asleep.  
Tenchi picked the little princess up in his arms making sure not to disturb her or the little sleeping cabbit and took her to her bedroom. Ranma and Akane followed close behind intending to so to their rooms, but the sound of someone clearing their throat made the two turn around.  
"Akane, Ranma, Tendo and I have talked and decided that since the two of you appear to be interested in being a real couple now that you two should share the same room." Genma told them. "But, separate beds, mind you." Soun said quickly. It's a bit late for that, thought Ranma. Akane looked up at Ranma and blushed a bright red. "Well, ok, if you think so." She said. "Good, Tenchi already put a futon in the bedroom and me and Saotome will share a room for now on." Soun smiled happily. "Now, no hanky panky you two." Soun laughed. If you only knew dad, thought Akane who failed to suppress an even darker blush.  
"Your two friends will bunk with me tonight," Tenchi said after returning from the bedroom where he laid Sasami down. "Dad will drive them to the train station tomorrow morning so they can go back to Nerima."  
"Cool." Ranma replied.  
A loud yawn from downstairs drew everybody's attention. Washu waked towards her door to the lab stretching her arms wide. The sound of her joints popping could be heard all the way up the stairs. "I'm off to bed, got lots of work tomorrow." She said. Ranma hurried down the stairs and stopped her. "Uh, Little Washu, you never showed up what you did with that little pervert." He said.  
"Oh, that, come with me." She said.  
Everyone followed her into the lab. Kuno and Ryoga both gasped in surprise at the sight of the incredible place. The diminutive genius led them through the complex until they reached what looked like a sealed room. Washu called up her translucent computer, typed in a command, and a holographic image appeared.  
"I put him in my holodeck and programmed it with something special, just for him." She smiled wickedly.  
Happosai appeared in the image, he was hunkered down under a table with a horrified expression on his face. The watchers could also hear everything that was happening as well. "I gotta find a way out of this place." Happy said, his voice quivering.  
"Oh Happy darling!" came a voice from the next room. "Is he playing hide and seek again?" asked another voice. "That naughty little thing." Said a third voice. Three people walked into the room dressed in alluring, sexy evening gowns with matching pumps. One look at the faces of the three 'women' nearly made the onlookers toss up their dinner. The three 'women' were in fact Transvestites! "There he is!" the one in a yellow dress cheered.  
"Help me, let me out of his living hell!!!!" Happosai screamed as the three 'women' lifted the little man up in their arms and started coving his face with kisses. They started carrying him out of the room saying, "Stop teasing us, Happy darling, make love to us." The diminutive pervert gabbed the edge of the doorway, the girls pulled harder and his hands left scratch marks on the wall. "Have mercy on me, let me out, please!" he screamed in desperation. "I'll be good, I'll be good!!!!"  
"You have such a sexy butt Happy, we're going to have lots of fun tonight." One of the 'girls' whispered into his ear. Happosai's eyes grew to the size of frying pans. "NOOOO, NOT THAT, ANYTHING BUT THAT, HAVE MERCY ON ME!!!!" he cried louder than ever before. Suddenly he lost his grip and the three 'women' rushed him into the bedroom.  
"Should I?" Washu asked, her fingers hovering over her computer.  
"Well, he is a pain, but I don't want him ass raped." Akane said.  
Ryoko folded her arms smugly and snorted, "Let them 'ram rod' the little freak, it'll teach him to appreciate women more."  
"Ryoko!" Tenchi exclaimed, shocked.  
The four were off camera but could still be heard. "Oh, look at that girls, he's going to be nice and tight." One of the 'women' cheered. "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON'T DO IT, STOP!!!!!" Happosai cried out his voice dripping with absolute terror.  
"Ah, ease off on the little freak." Said Ranma.  
Washu tapped a few keys and the scene suddenly changed. Happosai looked around in total confusion at his surroundings, he was in a garden setting sitting on a huge lounge chair that was shaped like a throne. It took for a few moments to realize he was wearing a Grecian toga. More than a dozen young girls wearing almost next to nothing came out from all directions carrying silver platters, some had fruit, but most of the others had piles of women's bras and panties. They all kneeled down around the diminutive old man angling their bodies so he saw the maximum amount of cleavage.  
"How may we 'service' you, oh great God of Manly Lust?" one of the girls asked seductively, then ripped off the front of her garment exposing her endowments. A loud thud attracted the on lookers who looked down to see a bloody nosed Tenchi laying splayed across the floor.  
Washu dispelled the image just as the rest of the girls disrobed and rushed the little man who had the happiest expression of his entire life on his face. "That should keep him busy for the time being." She said.  
"I'll let him out in the morning, and tell him if he causes any more trouble I'll toss him in with six tranies instead of three." Washu continued with a wicked smirk. Then she added, "With a pain sensation amplifier turned up to maximum to boot."  
Tenchi was back on his feet now, Ranma leaned close and whispered to him, "Remind me never to get her pissed off." All Tenchi could do was shiver and hope he never got on the diminutive genius' bad side.  
__________  
CONTINUED IN PART 4...  
  
FAMILY REUNION - PART 4: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!  
  
With Kuno and Ryoga's murder plot against Ranma stopped life gets back to normal. Well, not quite, since Ukyo and Shampoo suddenly arrive demanding Ranma make his choice of who he wants to be with...once and for all. But what is this, someone else wants a piece of Ranma! 


	4. Family Reunion Part 4

DISCLAIMER: The copyrights to Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki is owned by AIC Inc. and   
Pioneer LDC respectively. The copyrights to Ranma 1/2 are owned by Rumiko   
Takahashi and Pioneer LDC respectively. This work of fiction is not created for   
commercial purposes and is done for fan entertainment only without profit.  
__________  
  
F A M I L Y R E U N I O N  
  
PART 4: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!  
  
By Michael "TheZorch" Haney  
__________  
  
The three Tendo sisters had become used to the many spectacular wonders of   
alien technology since coming to the Masaki home, but no matter how often they   
visited it the Onsen was one thing that left them with a sense of awe. It has   
been three weeks since the incident with Kuno and Ryoga and already it was long   
forgotten. Ranma started training with Katsuhito and Tenchi up at the shrine to   
learn how to use his powers properly. Akane had gone up to the shrine to take   
the men some fresh tea when she witnessed that power in action. She left quite   
awed and a bit frightened at the same time. Ranma was far stronger than she   
could have ever begun to imagine.  
The youngest of the three Tendo sisters wasn't dwelling on that right now.   
Wrapped in her pink towel she just relaxed in the warm waters of the onsen and   
allowed the harmonious sound of flowing water sooth her. Nearby Ryoko and   
Nabiki, both totally naked, sat together sipping tea and saki. Sasami and   
Kasumi giggled and laughed just enjoying each other's company. Little Ryo-Ohki   
was as always on top of the little princess's head. Aeka and Washu sat next to   
Akane sharing some saki also.  
"This place is so wonderful, I wish we had one in Nerima." Akane said   
lazily.  
"That could be arranged." Washu replied after downing her fifth saucer of   
saki. "I looked into an alternate universe once and there I was, my alternate   
self, creating a onsen inside of Tenchi's bathroom using a bubble in subspace   
just like the way I made my lab." She went on.  
"Wow, really." Said an astonished Akane.  
"You'll have to clear it with dad first." Said Nabiki.  
"Ryoko is the one who made this one." Aeka told her.  
Akane looked over at the cyan haired beauty in surprise. "You did?" she   
asked. "Yep, wasn't hard at all either." Ryoko grinned.  
"It was the only thing she has ever done that I can honestly say I approve   
of." Said Aeka. Ryoko narrowed her eyes and grumbled, "What was that,   
Princess?"  
"Lets change the subject." said Washu, hoping to keep the two from   
fighting. "How about we play a little game." She suggested. "I love games."   
Kasumi smiled. "Me too." Sasami said cheerfully.  
"This game is called 'Kiss and Tell'," Washu told them. "You go 'first'   
Akane." The diminutive genius gives her a knowing wink. Akane quickly turned a   
deep shade of red.  
"Do you know something we don't know, Little Washu?" Nabiki asked, a coy   
smile on her lips.  
"Oh, I'm going to leave that up to Akane to explain." Giggled Washu.  
Akane looked at her middle sister helplessly and sighed. "There isn't   
much to talk about really." She said. "I doubt that." Smiled Washu as wide as a   
Cheshire cat. "Fess up Akane." Nabiki said, the curiosity was starting to   
become too much for her. "Yeah, lets here all the 'gory' details." Ryoko   
laughed.  
"We just kissed, ok." Akane said quickly.  
"You know Akane you couldn't lie to save your life." Nabiki sighed.  
The others all broke out into laughter. "Well, it-it was beautiful   
actually," Akane finally said. "I felt this tingling starting in my toes, it   
went up my back, and I felt like I was soaring high in the air."  
"Yep, she's in love." Said Washu.  
"We kissed again, deeper this time, more forceful, it was incredible,"   
Akane went on. "My heart felt like it was going to explode, I didn't want to   
leave Ranma's arms, didn't want it to stop." All the while Akane's face grew   
ever redder until she was the color of a radish. "We couldn't stop ourselves,   
didn't want to stop, we kissed again and again and again, everything was a blur,   
and then-and then-" she cried to continued but to too overcome with emotion.  
"What, and then what?" everyone asked, all poised for the answer.  
"I can't believe you're making me say this," Akane said embarrassed. "And   
then-and then we-we-we MADE LOVE, IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL!" Unable to handle the   
embracement anymore Akane dunked down under the water. Everyone but Washu   
gasped in shock, Kasumi and Nabiki's eyes were as wide as bowling balls.  
"Oh my god, you didn't!" Nabiki explained in disbelief. "No with Ranma!"  
Akane came back up out of the water in time to hear her. She nodded   
saying, "We did, in Washu's lab right after what happened with Kuno and Ryoga,   
you could say it was motivated by what happened that day but I have no regrets."  
"So that's why you two are so 'lovidovey' all of a sudden." Ryoko giggled.  
Ryoko's laughter echoed off the translucent onsen dome and she slapped her   
hands. "You owe me five thousand yen when we get back to the house, girly   
girl." She said to Nabiki. "Damn." The middle Tendo sister sighed.  
"Wah!" a shocked Akane remarked. "Do you mean to tell me the two of you   
made a bet on this!" she exclaimed.  
"Yeah, and I lost, I never imagined in a million years you and Ranma would   
actually ever do the 'dirty deed'." Nabiki replied laughing.  
"Nabiki!" exclaimed Akane.  
"Do you 'really' love him, Akane?" Nabiki asked.  
"Of course she does." Said Ryoko.  
Akane blushed furiously and covered her face. "Three weeks ago I would   
have said 'no', but now I can't deny what's in my heart, what I've felt for a   
long time actually." She said. "I guess you can say I do 'love' Ranma."  
"It will be wonderful now the two of you won't be fighting anymore."   
Kasumi cooed.  
"You and Ranma used to fight, but you were engaged." Aeka said to the   
young Tendo sister astonished. "Yeah, well it was an arrangement between our   
parents, as I said before," she replied. "And, my two sisters sort of nominated   
me for it too if I remember."  
"Better you than me." Nabiki laughed.  
"So what now?" asked Sasami.  
Akane turned to the little girl intending to reply. Her gaze feel on the   
cute little princess, but then traveled down to her reflection in the water and   
she gasped in shock. The younger Tendo sister stood up and nearly fell   
backwards into the water.  
"Oh my god!" she cried pointing at Sasami.  
"Huh?" everyone said at once and turned to where she was pointing. Nabiki   
and Kasumi noticed immediately. "Oh my goodness." Kasumi gasped. "Is this   
another one of those 'alien' things?" asked Nabiki. After living in the Tendo   
house most of her life and seeing all manner of weird things she wasn't shocked   
in the slightest.  
Sasami looked down at herself and was met by the smiling face of   
'Tsunami'. The Goddess was adorned in her regal robes. Seeing Sasami looking   
down at her she blinked playfully. The little princess tried to suppress her   
giggle but it came out anyway.  
"Maybe its time we told them about Sasami." Said Ryoko. "And me."  
"Told us what, what's happening to her?" Akane asked, now in full control   
of her composure.  
"I'll field this one Aeka." offered Washu. The elder princess nodded to   
her with a smile. After all, Washu was the best qualified person to tell the   
tale, from her prison on the Soja she witness the attack on Jurai through   
Ryoko's eyes.  
"It all starts about five thousand years ago," Washu started. "I was a   
professor at the Galactic Science Academy, I had a brilliant student named   
Kagato and he assisted me in what was to be one of my most spectacular projects   
yet." Ryoko pointed to herself and said, "I was that project." The Tendo   
sisters looked at her in surprise. "That's right," Washu went on. "Ryoko was   
engineered by me, I used one of my ova combined with the Masu, and it's the same   
way I made Ryo-Ohki except with mineral life and the Masu." An astonished Akane   
then asked, "What does that have to do with Sasami?" "I'm getting to that."   
Washu replied a bit frustrated at being interrupted. "I am not sure where,   
when, or how but something got to Kagato, a darkness or some kind of evil." She   
said continuing the tale. "It began to consume him from within, soon most of   
his body became incorporeal. He betrayed me one day, tricked me and locked me   
up inside of my own starship the Soja and on top of that he took control of my   
Little Ryoko's mind. He forced her to do unspeakable things in the name of his   
quest for ultimate power, soon he became obsessed with discovering the source of   
the power controlled by the Jurai Royal Family; Tsunami."  
"Sasami mentioned that name three weeks ago." Kasumi remembered.  
"Tsunami is the Tree of Light, the mother of all the royal trees of Jurai,   
the sentient trees that function as the heart of all the ships from our world."   
Aeka explained. "All members of the Jurai royal family are eventually called on   
by the trees and are bonded with the one who called them. The bond forms a   
symbiotic relationship between the two allowing telepathic communication, and in   
return the person bonded is granted an immensely extended lifespan. Sasami at a   
young age was called upon by Tsunami, and you can just imagine that this news   
was a tremendous shock to the other royal houses."  
"Kagato learned that Tsunami was the source of the Jurai power and wanted   
to learn how to use it himself, so he sent Ryoko to attack Jurai intending to   
steel the tree." Washu continued. "But, Aeka's half-brother Yosho, whom you   
know as Katsuhito, fought Ryoko off and chased her here to Earth where he   
defeated her and sealed her up in a cave for seven hundred years until one day   
Tenchi accidentally set her free."  
"That's an amazing tale." Said Kasumi.  
"What happened with Sasami occurred during the battle on Jurai." Washu   
explained. "She was very young at the time, about 4 or 5 or so. She wandered   
off from her nanny and went to the royal hanging gardens where the trees of   
Jurai and Tsunami dwell. She was making her way along the platforms when   
something hit the tower and exploded. The force knocked her off her feet and   
she fell to her death. Saddened at the loss of her bond mate, Tsunami generated   
a 'copy' of Sasami. They are joined together, so that is why you can see   
Tsunami's reflection."  
"That's absolutely incredible." Akane gasped.  
Sasami climbed up out of the water. "I'd better go, I have to start   
dinner." She said. "I'll come and help you in a little bit." Kasumi called   
after her. The little princess smiled and giggled, "Ok." "Bye." Waves Akane.   
The little girl smiles and waves back as she goes through the main door.  
When Sasami was gone Washu turned to the Tendo girls with a serious look   
on her face. "With Sasami here I couldn't tell you the real truth because even   
she doesn't know." She told them. "What truth?" Nabiki asked. "That 'she' is   
the 'real' Sasami, she only 'thinks' she's a copy." Washu said pointing towards   
the onsen entrance where Sasami had gone. "After the fall Sasami was barely   
hanging onto life when Tsunami, in an ultimate gesture of her love, sacrificed   
her individuality so that Sasami could live." Explained Aeka.  
"What does that mean?" Kasumi asked, confused.  
"Tsunami and Sasami are assimilated, they aren't two different people   
anymore, they are the 'same' person." Washu informed them. "For now they have   
separate minds to allow Sasami to have her childhood, but one day they will   
fully merge and become one mind, one body, one personality, and have a complete   
combined memory."  
Akane gasped in complete shock, "Is that possible?"  
"It is, when you are a 'goddess'." Aeka told her. Now this had a major   
effect, all the Tendo sisters looked like they were about to faint. "Tsunami is   
a goddess, one of three sisters." Said Washu. "I am one of them, or was before   
I gave up my immortality to be human about twenty thousand year ago, and the   
third is no longer with us."  
"I'm so sorry." Kasumi said sadly.  
"Don't be, Tokimi was evil through and through," said Aeka. "She tried to   
kill us and destroy Jurai, and none of us would be here if Tenchi hadn't   
destroyed her."  
"This is just getting better and better, first aliens and now goddesses."   
Nabiki sighed. Ryoko handed her a small saki bottle. Nabiki accepted it and   
took a long swig. "Welcome to the family." Ryoko smiled.  
"Hold up, you said Yosho was Aeka and Sasami's half-brother." Said Akane.  
"Yes, we have the same father but two different mothers." Aeka replied.  
Akane sighed, "We lost our mother, but dad never remarried."  
"Oh, Yosho's mother is still alive and so is mine and Sasami's." Aeka   
explained.  
"Was there a divorce?" asked Kasumi.  
Aeka laughed, "There is 'much' you must learn of the Royal Family of   
Jurai."  
"You mean your father has two wives!" Akane gasped.  
Aeka nodded, "As the King of Jurai he may have as many wives as he   
pleases, and the same privilege extends to Lord Tenchi and Lord Ranma if they so   
choose." The Tendo sisters all looked at the First Princess with an expression   
of immense surprise. "In fact, as members of the direct line of succession to   
the throne, the royal family expects nothing less." She added. Akane grabbed   
the saki bottle from Nabiki's hand and drained the last of it in one gulp, today   
was just full of incredible revelations.  
  
Ranma was running, very fast. The trees were going by in a blur, the air   
was pushing back his hair, yet he didn't feel tired at all. For three weeks   
he'd been training with Katsuhito and Tenchi at the shrine learning to harness   
the Jurai power he had within him. Now he was learning to use that power, and   
it felt incredible. Ranma was fast, his hands had always been quick, whether he   
was throwing out punches or moving rice from one plate to another like on Prince   
Toma's island. Yet, the awesome speed he was at right now was far beyond that.   
It was almost as if he was 'super-human'.  
Tenchi wasn't too far behind. The boy ran with a similar speed, tapping   
into his immense pool of energy. There was a strange glow surrounding the First   
Prince of Jurai as he ran. Ranma remembered Tenchi said that ever since the war   
with Lady Tokimi he'd been able to call upon the Light Hawk Wings whenever he   
wanted to. With the wings he was able to do virtually anything, and right now   
he was keeping up with Ranma using that power. The young Saotome suspected that   
was just the tip of the iceberg though.  
Katsuhito stood as still as an old oak tree. He held a stopwatch in his   
hand as it counted down. The two cousins came racing by, the wind from their   
passing sent up a huge cloud of dust and made the trees sway back and forth.   
The old priest's robes flew around, but the old man didn't move an inch. The   
shockwave in the air reached the porch of the shrine sending the wind chimes   
into a frantic dance and knocking over several baskets.  
"Hmmm, not bad." Said the old man.  
The cousins came around again completing another circuit. Katsuhito   
clicked the stopwatch and the two came to a sudden halt. When they stopped they   
created a shockwave in the air that pushed the trees in one direction sending   
them swaying again.  
"That was totally awesome!" shouted Ranma.  
"What would you say we were we doing, grandpa?" Tenchi asked.  
"I'd say you two were doing a good sixty to eighty miles per hour or so."   
The old priest said.  
"That fast, WOW!" exclaimed Ranma, he was beginning to love this whole   
alien thing.  
"I am certain you can go much faster," Katsuhito told him. "Tenchi with   
the Light Hawk Wings can fly at speeds exceeding the speed of sound."  
Ranma felt a cold draft all of a sudden and looked down at his outfit. It   
was nearly torn to shreds, and his shoes were practically gone. "It's murder on   
my wardrobe though." He said. "Once you learn to project a force field in front   
of you and use it to fly that won't be a problem anymore." The old priest said.  
Suddenly, Katsuhito felt a presence nearby. He cursed himself for letting   
his defenses down, who or whatever it was wasn't very far away. He jerked   
around quickly as a blue and red form suddenly streaked out of the underbrush   
and advanced on Ranma. The old priest didn't make a move however, he could   
clearly see what it was advancing on his grandson, and what he saw made him do   
an eyebrow Spock Maneuver.  
"Nihao, Ranma!" the figure cried as it threw its arms around the suddenly   
stunned young Saotome.  
"S-S-S-Shampoo!!!!" Ranma stammered.  
Much of Japan and the Orient was once a colony of planet Jurai. Juraian   
culture had a major influence in shaping the cultures and traditions of the   
Japanese and Chinese peoples. Tenchi recalled that Washu suggested that a   
little more than sixty percent of the population in Japan and China had some   
Juraian blood, but not necessarily 'royal' blood. The girl clinging to Ranma   
was to say the least absolutely gorgeous, a vision of beauty who could easily   
rival the girls Tenchi lived with. Her delicate features gave away her origins,   
she was definitely Chinese, but her blue hair also cued Tenchi in to the fact   
that she had some Juraian blood in her veins. Her hair style was slightly   
similar to Aeka's and Akane's, her long bangs were tied with little red bows,   
and her hair hung down low below her waist in a long braid that ended in a large   
bow. She was wearing a tight red outfit with a flower print that was definitely   
of Chinese make.  
"Shampoo see whole thing, Ranma so strong, so manly." The girl cooed,   
hugging Ranma lovingly. The boy, however, wasn't so happy to have such a   
gorgeous creature glomping him. "Shampoo, let go, what are you doing here!"   
Ranma shouted as he tried to pry himself loose.  
"Poor Ranma must spend whole summer with baka Akane, Shampoo come to save   
man she love." She replied while rubbing her cheek against his.  
Something silver, reflecting the light of the sun, suddenly flew passed   
Tenchi and Katsuhito. Neither moved an inch as the object slapped the Chinese   
girl in the face sending her falling to the ground. Tenchi looked at the fallen   
object in surprise, it was a-spatula?  
"I'm the one Ranma honey truly loves." Said a new voice, a firm but gentle   
feminine tone.  
"U-Ukyo?" Ranma said, dumbfounded. "Both of you are here."  
This new girl was dressed in the uniform robe of an Okinomiaki chef.   
Slung over her back was a gigantic spatula, and she wore a bandoleer that held   
several more of the smaller metal utensils. Her black tights revealed the   
wonderfully elegant curvature of her long legs, her black hair hung down to her   
waist and was held back by a white bow. Like the Chinese girl she too was   
incredibly beautiful. Tenchi looked back and forth between his cousin and the   
two girls. He nervously scratched his head and sighed, "It must run in the   
family somewhere."  
  
Akane felt incredibly refreshed after the visit to the onsen. She loved   
the place and hoped her dad would allow Washu to make them one. She, her   
sisters, Aeka, Mihoshi, Washu, and Ryoko walked back towards the house. They   
passed close to where the stairs to the shrine started, and Ryoko noticed some   
people coming down. She teleported away, then materialized just behind Tenchi   
and glomped him. "Hello, my Tenchi." She whispered seductively into his ear.  
"Hey, Ryoko get off will ya!" Tenchi groaned.  
"Ryoko, let Lord Tenchi go this instant!" Aeka shouted.  
Ryoko laughed, "Make me, your worshipfulness."  
Despite the distance Tenchi's keen eyes could clearly see the veins   
popping up on Aeka's forehead. "Oh no." he sighed knowing a fight was   
inevitable.  
"Girls, show some manners, we have new guests." Katsuhito said defusing   
the situation. Thank Kami-san for grandpa, Tenchi thought.  
"Ukyo, Shampoo what are you two doing in Ohkayama?" Akane asked when she   
recognized the two women. "You know them?" asked Aeka.  
"We came because we decided not to wait any longer." Said Ukyo. "That   
right, we wait long enough." Shampoo added.  
"Waited for what?" Ryoko asked.  
"Either Ranma finally decides to choose who he wants to be with or we have   
a three way duel, winner take all." Said Ukyo as she pulled out her big spatula   
and points it at Akane.  
Ranma jumps in between them waving his arms shouting, "Hey, now wait a   
sec, there's something you two need to know!"  
"No more talk, you choose or Akane fights!" Shampoo shouted and stomped   
her foot.  
Tenchi leaned towards his grandfather and whispers, "Reminds you of a   
couple of somebody's doesn't it." The old man nodded in agreement.  
"I'm not gonna fight!" Akane exclaimed in reply. "Listen to what Ranma   
has to say!"  
"Perhaps the four of you should go and discuss this in private." Katsuhito   
suggested. "Right, lets go to Fonaho-Oh." Ranma said. "Fonaho-Oh?" Shampoo   
said curiously.  
  
Tenchi watched the four of them walk off into the woods towards his   
grandfather's space tree. His keen senses amplified by his powers told him that   
there were many eyes on him at that moment. He turned to meet the gaze of the   
young women whom he shared his house with. They all looked at him expectantly,   
then he remembered what he said to them before Ranma and his family came.   
Tenchi sighed and said, "Ok, I guess it's about time we did the same, lets go up   
to the shrine." All of the girls nodded and followed him towards the stairs.  
"I will be at the house." Katsuhito said as he walked off. He showed no   
emotion, but inside he felt such incredible pride in his grandson, both of his   
grandsons.  
  
Shampoo and Ukyo stared up in wonder at the magnificent tree. They were   
at a loss to determine what sort of tree it was, the trunk was certainly huge,   
the canopy of leaves and branches stretched out so far that it covered the   
entire pool it was growing in. Ranma had taken Akane here the day after they   
consummated their relationship in Washu's lab. Here, beneath the leaves, he   
pledged to love her forever. This place was very special to her heart.  
Ranma stopped and turned around to face them. Akane could read in his   
face signs of the conflict within. She was well aware of the truth in his   
heart, he loved her very much, but he also felt some attachment to Shampoo and   
Ukyo as well. She knew Ranma well, he was going to tell them about him and   
Akane, and she knew it was going to tear him up inside. Akane agreed, Ranma and   
Tenchi were both very much alike in this respect. Then, she remembered Aeka's   
words in the onsen. A part of her didn't like the idea, but her heart told her   
she had to tell him.  
"Ukyo, Shampoo, I brought all of you out here because-" Ranma began, but   
Akane walked up and interrupted him.  
"Ranma, I love you, and I'll accept any decision you choose to make." She   
told him. The other girls gasped at Akane's sudden admission of her feelings.  
"Akane?" a surprised Ranma said.  
"There is something Aeka told me you should know before you make that   
decision though, I don't like it, but my heart says to tell you and whatever you   
decide I will live with it because I will always love you and will never leave   
your side no matter what." She continued. The two other girls looked at each   
other with puzzled expressions.  
"What do you mean, what did she tell you?" Ranma asked.  
  
Tenchi sat on the shrine steps flanked by the six women who were a part of   
his life. Ryoko had teleported to the house and grabbed Sasami out of the   
kitchen for this event. They all looked at him expectantly and with a little   
bit of fear. They could read it in his face, today was the day, he was going to   
choose and they all would have to live with his decision. After all, despite   
all the rivalry the final decision was always 'his' to make.  
"I want to start off by saying that I truly care about all of you, I once   
thought all I wanted was a normal ordinary life, but when I really think about   
it if I didn't have all of you here my life would be pretty bland." He told   
them.  
"We have had some interesting adventures haven't we." Said Ryoko.  
"Except for the war with Tokimi, that wasn't an adventure that was a   
living hell." Commented Washu.  
"I almost lost all of you in that war." Said Tenchi, his voice low now.  
"We almost lost you, Lord Tenchi." Said Aeka.  
Tenchi looked down at his hands and sighed. He knew what he had to do, he   
was torn between two worlds, two cultures. On one side was his Shinto   
upbringing, on the other was his Juraian heritage and all the rights and   
privileges he receives from it. It was impossible to deny that his destiny   
leaned towards his Juraian heritage now more than at any other time. Ever since   
the Goddess War the galaxy at large was infatuated with the young First Prince   
of Jurai. Despite the ill feelings the King of Jurai had for his great grandson   
there was no avoiding the fact that one day he would indeed succeed the throne.  
"I don't know what I would have done if I ever lost any one of you." He   
said. "I could never forgive myself."  
"Tenchi-" began Ryoko, but she stopped when her mother put a hand on her   
shoulder.  
"Choosing, I always knew, would be inevitable," Tenchi went on. "I also   
know that choosing will break the hearts of those who are not the one, and in   
turn that will tear me up inside knowing I caused that pain."  
Looks of confusion, surprise, and fear were exchanged between the girls.   
Tenchi noticed it, they were worried, but he decided to end all of their   
worrying now and forever. "So, I have decided not to choose," he said, the   
girls all gasped. "Just one." He finished with a smile. Their horrified   
expressions turned to surprise with a tinge of hope, had they heard him   
correctly?  
"It will be hard, it will be an adjustment for all of us, but I know we   
can make this work." He told them. "If you are all willing to try with me."  
Their eyes grew wide, he meant what he said, and effectively he opened the   
door for all of them into his heart. The girls were silent for a moment, which   
made Tenchi worry a bit. Would they accept, or would they all in a rage   
vaporize him into a pile of dust?  
  
There, I did it I told him, now Ranma its all up to you, Akane said to   
herself. Ranma sat on the ground with the three girls. His face was an   
unreadable mask. What Akane just told him nearly blew his mind; as a Prince of   
Jurai and a member of the line of succession he could have as many wives as he   
wished. In fact, it was expected of him to do so. He couldn't bring himself to   
believe Akane agreed with that though, he could see it in her face, but he also   
knew she'd accept his wishes because she said so from her heart.  
"I don't know what to do." He admitted.  
Akane put her hand on his shoulder and told him, "Do what your heart   
says."  
Ukyo and Shampoo knew nothing of Ranma's alien heritage. All of this talk   
of him being a prince of someplace called Jurai was beyond them. What or where   
was this place called Jurai, they thought.  
"I don't want to hurt you." He told her truthfully.  
"What is this place called Jurai?" Ukyo asked, interrupting the two.  
Ranma and Akane both looked at her with a curious expression that made   
Ukyo do a Spock Maneuver. "That is a little hard to explain." Said Akane.   
"Ranma is Prince, but where is the Kingdom?" asked Shampoo.  
"You sure you two 'really' want to know?" Ranma asked.  
"Yes." Ukyo and Shampoo replied together.  
The young Saotome sighed, "Ok, here goes."  
  
Tenchi didn't have to wait long for the girls to answer him. With tears   
streaming down their faces they surrounded him and held him in their arms.   
Mihoshi was balling pretty soon leaving a noise puddle. Tenchi tried to   
encircle them with his arms as best he could. Together they all cried, not out   
of sadness, but out of joy. The joy of a new beginning, a new start. Then, one   
my one Tenchi kissed them, but not like before. This time the kiss was on the   
lips, tender, passionate. Not to leave little Sasami out of the picture he gave   
her a quick kiss on the lips which made her blush furiously.  
"Well, what do we do now?" asked Washu.  
"Breed like rabbits." Said Ryoko.  
Tenchi turned bright red. "Besides that, but not a bad idea." Washu   
replied smiling.  
"Maybe we should take things easy for awhile, allow ourselves to get used   
to this 'new life'." Aeka suggested.  
Ryoko sighed, "Aeka's right, lets not rush into anything yet."  
"You agree with me?" Aeka asked her, astonished.  
"Yeah, why so surprised?" asked Ryoko.  
"Because we were all suspecting things would end up this way, that's why."   
Washu told them. "We all know Tenchi better than anybody, we should have seen   
this coming from a billion miles away."  
"Does this mean we're all going to be, well, Princesses?" Mihoshi asked.  
Aeka nodded, "Technically yes, after our eventual marriage to Lord   
Tenchi."  
"When I saw all of you prepared to give your lives for mine, I knew in my   
heart this was the only solution." Tenchi explained to them.  
"Well, it's a great solution in my book," replied Washu. "And besides,   
now I can get that 'sample'." She smiled at him like a Cheshire cat. "Does it   
all have to boil down to sex?" Tenchi sighed.  
"Damn straight!" Ryoko answered.  
"But none of us here would ever make love to anyone other than the man we   
love." Said Aeka with a slight blush on her cheeks.  
"Like my heart would belong to none other than the six of you." Tenchi   
replied.  
  
Ukyo and Shampoo stared to Ranma, speechless. Thoughts raced through   
their heads. Ranma was part alien, and the member of the royal family of the   
most powerful empire in the galaxy. This knowledge was overwhelming to say the   
least.  
"This is true?" asked Shampoo.  
Ranma nodded, "It's true, my grandfather is a half-alien prince."  
"And your mother never knew any of this." Ukyo said.  
"No, not a soul has known until my cousin Tenchi encountered Ryoko and the   
others." Ranma explained.  
"Is all too incredible." Said Shampoo, still looking overwhelmed.  
"Look, Ukyo, Shampoo, I love Akane, and I care about the two of you-"   
Ranma began but Ukyo sat up and look him square in the eye.  
"Ranma I love you!" she admitted. "I love you so much it hurts inside!"  
"Ukyo-" Ranma gasped.  
Shampoo looked up, tears streaked her face. "Life have no meaning to   
Shampoo without Ranma, Shampoo no want to go on without him." She said with a   
shaking voice.  
Ranma was taken aback. He never imagined how deeply the two girls really   
felt about him. He knew Ukyo had a crush on him, but that was all he thought it   
was. And, he had always thought Shampoo's advanced were because of the law her   
tribe had that said she had to marry him because he defeated her in battle.  
"I-I-I need some time to think." Ranma said lowering his head.  
"This is a big decision for Ranma, we need to give him some space." Said   
Akane to the two women. The other two nodded in agreement.  
"Thank you." Said Ranma. Akane leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"You're going to marry all of them!" Nabiki said in total surprise.  
Tenchi smiled and nodded. He and the girls had made a grand entrance at   
the house. They were all practically hanging onto him as they came through the   
back door. Kasumi had asked what was going on and Tenchi made the announcement   
to the surprise of everyone in the house except for Katsuhito. Deep inside the   
old priest suspected that this sort of thing would happen one day. He wasn't at   
all disappointed with Tenchi for taking the easy way out of his situation.  
"Isn't that illegal?" she asked.   
"On Earth by Japanese law, yes, but not according to Juraian law." Aeka   
explained. "Therefore, our wedding will have to take place offworld."  
Tendo and Saotome had returned to the house after a long practice session   
outside. The two were beginning to take all of this much better. It was odd,   
Genma though, but he knew somehow deep inside that Ranma was meant for something   
great. He just wasn't expecting something like this.  
"Where is Ranma?" Genma asked.  
"He's up by the shrine with Akane and two girls who just showed up." Said   
Ryoko.  
"Who are the two girls?" Soun asked.  
"I think they said their names were Shampoo and Ukyo." Ryoko told him.  
The two men just looked at each other and at the same time they both said,   
"Uh ho." Ryoko shrugged her shoulders and handed them both a couple a cups of   
sake. "Don't worry, they went off alone to talk." She added.  
"You don't know how attached those two are to Ranma." Saotome said. "Some   
guys get all the luck." Tendo sighed.  
Aeka looked over at Tenchi and nodded, "Oh I can just imagine."  
Kasumi brought out a pitcher of fresh iced cinnamon tea and a snack tray   
that Sasami had made with crackers, cheese, little cold cuts and fresh   
vegetables with dip. The girls sat with Tenchi on the couch not wanting to part   
with him for a while and were still glowing from the surprise he gave them up at   
the shrine.  
"I'll be graduating high school soon," said Tenchi. "So I've been   
applying to different colleges and universities."  
"Doesn't that mean you'd have to move away for a while?" Mihoshi asked.  
Tenchi nodded. "It's not like I'll be gone forever, and I'm sure a   
certain someone here can figure out a way for us to still see each other." He   
was looking at Washu when he said that. The diminutive genius laughed and   
smiled, "I may have something that could help with that sort of situation."  
"What college might you attend?" Washu asked Tenchi.  
"Well, I've gotten letters of acceptance from the Nekomi Institute of   
Technology, Fujimitsu University in Tokyo, and the Isakawa University of   
Technology in Nerima." He said.  
"Isakawa has a great architecture program." Kasumi said.  
"Oh?" said Tenchi in response. "Yes, I have a friend who goes there, and   
her brother is taking architecture classes there." Kasumi continued.  
"And you're welcome to stay with us if you want." Tendo offered.  
"Thanks, but I'm still thinking about where I want to go." Tenchi told   
him.  
Tendo smiled and replied, "Well, the offer still stands if you decide to   
come to Nerima."  
  
Ranma threw a flat stone skipping it off the surface of the lake. He sat   
on top of a small boulder that sat at the waters edge. Far across the lake he   
could see the Masaki home and the mountain where the family shrine was. In the   
distance the very top of the great tree Fonaho-oh peeked over the other trees in   
the valley. The young Saotome sighed, he didn't know what to do. He could tell   
Akane did not like the idea of having to share him with anybody else. This   
feeling they had for each other was new to the two them, well, secretly they did   
both care for each other but would have never admitted it. In some ways Ranma   
knew he had to thank Kuno and Ryoga for his new relationship with Akane. Ranma   
was still slightly shocked at the fact that he actually made love to her in   
Washu's lab. He could remember every detail, it was totally spur of the moment,   
driven by some passion within that came out in that instant that they kissed.   
He could still feel Akane's body next to his, still hear the sound of her voice   
in his ear. I love her I do love her, Ranma told himself. But, also something   
within from the same place also told him not to hurt the other two. Shampoo and   
Ukyo had their hearts set on him, he knew that, and he also knew they were not   
lacking in the beauty category either. Yet beauty wasn't at the heart of this   
matter, one should never fall in love based on looks alone. That is how hearts   
can be broken, but Ranma knew the two girls, knew how devoted they were to him,   
and knew that generally Shampoo and Ukyo were both wonderful, kind people.  
"So what should I do?" he asked himself.  
"Do what is in your heart." Came a voice.  
If he could Ranma would have jumped right of his skin. He felt like   
kicking himself for letting his guard down so low that just anyone could sneak   
up on him. He looked around expecting it to be one of Tenchi's girls but there   
was nobody there. Then, out of the corner of his eye he spotted something, or   
was that someone. He turned towards the lake and gasped in a mixture of   
surprise and awe. She was 'standing' on the surface of the lake dressed in   
elegant and regal finery, her sky blue hair was long and lustrous, her voice was   
soft and gentle, she was the most beautiful creature Ranma had ever seen in his   
entire life.  
"W-w-what?" Ranma managed to stammer.  
"Do what is in your heart, Ranma Saotome." She said.   
Ranma stumbled backwards and fell down onto his rear on the rock he'd been   
sitting on. "H-h-how do you know my name, and w-w-who are you?" he asked her.   
The woman laughed, it was like the chiming of little bells. "My name is   
Tsunami."  
Tsunami. She's the one Sasami is supposedly going to turn into when she   
grows up!, Ranma told himself. That little girl is going to look like her! My   
god she's beautiful!  
"Yes, I am the vision of Sasami in the future." Tsunami answered him   
hearing his thoughts, then she blushed. "And thank you, I think you rather   
handsome yourself."  
Ranma's eyes went wide, she was able to read his thoughts. "Well, I-uh-  
that is-" he stammered. "Don't be worried, I came because I felt you needed   
someone to talk to, someone to help you sort things out." She reassured him.  
"I got one heck of problem on my hands, lady." Ranma laughed and scratched   
his head Tenchi-style. Tsunami giggled and covered her mouth in a way that made   
her look even cuter, if that was possible. "I can see that." She laughed.  
"Akane told me that I am 'allowed' to marry more than one wife because of   
my heritage with the royal family, but I know deep down she's not happy with the   
idea." Ranma explained. "Answer this question, if she wasn't happy with the   
idea then 'why' did she tell you?" Tsunami asked him.  
"I'm not sure, she could have kept it to herself, but she told me after   
Ukyo and Shampoo showed up," he said. "I don't really know."  
Tsunami glided across the water to the edge of the lake leaned towards the   
young Saotome. She was almost close enough to his face to kiss him, this names   
Ranma blush a furious red. He has grown up around beautiful woman, but this   
woman made them 'all' pale in comparison. "Then you should ask her why." She   
told him. "Maybe what she tells you will help you." She adds as she stands back   
up.  
Ranma recovers his composure and says, "You know, you're right I should   
ask her." Quickly he stands up and starts for the house. "Uh, thank you." He   
thanks her then runs off.  
After Ranma is far enough away Tsunami folds her arms and looks to the   
side with a whimsical expression. "You can show yourself now." She says. A   
person materializes next to her floating in the air. She is no less beautiful   
than Tsunami, her long white hair hangs low and lustrous over her curvaceous   
frame, she skin is tanned, on her face are three curious blue markings on her   
forehead and above her cheeks.  
"You handled that pretty well." Said Urd.  
"Well, he 'was' easier to work with than Tenchi." Tsunami smiled.  
"Thank you for helping with Tenchi, by the way." Tsunami thanked her.   
Urd sighed, "Boy was he a hard one to crack, I thought I'd never get   
through his mental shell." The white haired goddess smiled and laughed, "I hope   
the outcome was what you were looking for."  
"He had the feelings in his heart, but he needed the right 'push' to make   
him act on it." Urd went on.  
"Oh yes, its exactly what I hoped for." Tsunami sighed happily.  
Urd floated away from the lake and headed for the forest. "Well, I'd   
better be getting back, gotta keep my eye on Kaiichi and Belldandy you know."   
She said.  
"Say hi to Bell and Skuld for me." Tsunami called to her.   
"Will do, see ya." Urd called back before vanishing.  
Tsunami's visage shimmered with golden light as she slowly vanished with a   
happy, contented smile on her lips.  
  
Ranma found Akane at the onsen. He wasn't sure but something told him to   
check there. Perhaps, he thought, it was Tsunami directing him to the right   
place. The youngest of the three Tendo sisters was a bit surprised at his   
entrance. She was dressed in little more than a pink towel as she relaxed in   
the warm waters surrounded by the sound of singing song birds and running water.  
"Ranma, what are you doing here?" she asked, a blush on her face.  
"I-uh-I needed to talk to you." He replied.  
Akane glided through the water over to where Ranma stood. The young man   
sat down there and let his bare feet dip into the water. Akane put her elbows   
on the edge of the pool and looked up at him.  
"Can't decide can you." She said in a matter of fact like tone.  
"Actually, I wanted to ask 'you' something." Ranma told her.  
Akane perked up her eyebrows. "If you're not happy with the idea of me   
marrying more than one wife, why did you tell me I can because of my royal   
status?" he asked.  
Akane sighed, "I said I'd accept anything you-"  
Ranma cut her off putting a finger to her lips and asked, "You told me   
that but I want the truth, why?"  
"Because I know how I would feel if-" she began. "If you weren't with   
me." He finished for her. Akane sighed and looked at her hands. Ranma turned   
her face up to his gently. "I love you, I'm not ashamed to admit it, and I'm   
happy with what we did in Washu's lab." He told her.  
"You would be, you're a 'guy'." She laughed.  
"Hey, I didn't hear you complain." Ranma smirked.  
They laughed then leaned towards one another and kissed gently. "I see it   
in their eyes, Ukyo and Shampoo love you with all their heart, like I do." Akane   
said when they parted.  
"It will be an adjustment, but I 'can' live with it if they will." She   
continued.  
"I wonder how Mr. Tendo will handle this." Said Ranma, dreading the   
possibilities. He could still feel the bite of the man's bokken from the time   
Ukyo came to stay with them two years ago. After that he couldn't look at   
okinomiaki without getting queasy for a month.   
"And Dad." He went on.  
"Happosai would be proud of you." Akane giggled.  
Ranma gave her a horrified expression then laughed at the joke. "He'd be   
giddy beyond human expression." Ranma laughed. Akane joined in laughing so hard   
she nearly lost her towel.  
"Opps!" she said grabbing it just in time.  
"Why be so modest, I've already seen what you got and then some." Ranma   
said with a seductive smile. Akane blushed furiously and gave him a playful   
punch in the arm. "You lech!" she laughed.  
"You really are cute, and I think you have a great body." He told her.   
Ranma took her hand, his fingers caressed hers. The young Tendo sister blushed   
deeply. "You're not just saying that because you want to get me in bed again do   
you." She said smirking. Ranma leaned down just close enough to kiss her. "I   
meant what I said," he told her softly. "And a guy 'can' hope can't he."  
Akane gasped in pretend shock then grabbed the boy and pulled him head   
first into the hot water. Ranma came up sputtering then found himself with   
Akane's arms wrapped around him. "We'd better not take too long because if Ukyo   
and Shampoo come looking for us it could be World War III." She whispered to   
him. She let her towel fall, kissing and caressing each other the two slowly   
eased down into the warm water.  
  
An hour later, Ranma and Akane went walking through the countryside. The   
young Tendo sister had a bright, happy glow on her face. She hugged the young   
Saotome boy's arm lovingly. Ranma had been so gentle with her despite his new   
incredible strength. She could easily imagine herself spending the rest of her   
life with him. They traveled the path that leads past Fonaho-Oh and found Ukyo   
and Shampoo there in conversation. The two young woman looked as if they'd be   
best friends for years the way they talking, but in reality they were bitter   
rivals for Ranma's heart. Ranma looked at Akane, she nodded, time to tell them   
had come. But, the two wondered how would the girls handle it.  
The two were surprised at how well Ukyo and Shampoo were handling the   
Ranma's decision. They didn't know how to react, whether to be happy or angry.   
They were both at a loss for words for the second time in the same day.  
"If the two of you can set your differences aside with Akane I know we can   
make this work out." Ranma told them.  
"You want to marry all three of us." Ukyo said still unable to believe it.  
"Is very unusual." Shampoo said.  
Ranma reached out and took both girls' hands. "I know how much you love   
me, and I really care about the two of you although I haven't really shown it   
all that well in the past." He explained to them.  
"Besides, I'm sure the people in space never had okinomiaki before." Ranma   
went on with a smile hoping to lighten the mood.  
Shampoo gasped, "We have to live in space!"  
"No, no, but we'd have to get married in space to make it legal." Said   
Akane. "I think, we'd have to ask Princess Aeka."  
"Oh." Ukyo and Shampoo said together.  
"What do we have to loose, we get to be with one another freely without   
any barriers or worries, and besides you'd all be princesses." Ranma told them   
smiling.  
"Shampoo would be princess?" Shampoo asked.  
Ranma smiled and laughed, "You three are already has beautiful as   
princesses, so you might as well become princesses for real."  
"Ranma." The three girls swooned to his words.  
"Ryoga and Kuno have been taken care of, sort of, so we have nobody to   
worry about or get in our way." Ranma went on.  
Akane gasped just then with sudden realization. "Uh, Ranma, you're   
forgetting someone." She told him.  
"Huh?" he said. "Who?"  
Shampoo jumped to her feet and pointed towards the forest. "Mousse!" she   
cried. Ranma learned from his encounter with Tsunami not to let his guard down,   
so his new found powers and awareness told him to move...now. He dodged to the   
side, his body literally blurring as he moved, a chain whip lashed out where   
he'd be sitting only an instant before.  
"Ranma no baka!" Mousse yelled from the top of one of the nearby trees.  
Akane sighed, "Here we go again."  
What is this, open season on me?!, Ranma though to himself. The young   
Chinese martial artist was an expert at the hidden weapons style. Although he   
was severely nearsighted Mousse was no slouch. If this situation turned into an   
all our fight things could get real interesting really quick. Ranma fought   
Mousse in the past, once while trying to save Shampoo from that shaggy no good   
ghost cat Mamolin, but that was a few years ago. Mousse's experience on   
Togenkyo Island had helped to hone his fighting prowess.  
"I don't know what's going on here, but I can't allow it!" the young man   
cried as he hurled himself into the air and landed deftly on his feet only a few   
inches away from Ranma.  
"This not concern you!" Shampoo yelled at him.  
"It does," Mousse shouted back. "'I' Love you, I'm the one who wants to   
be your husband!"  
"Sometimes a guy has to know when you give up, but you're not one of those   
guys." Said Ranma.  
"I'll never give up because Shampoo is mine." Said Mousse.  
"Shampoo belong to Ranma now." The Chinese girl said folding her arms.  
Mousse flicked his wrists and two sai appeared in his hands. "Then, we   
decide this with a duel, just you and me Ranma." He said relaxing into a   
fighting stance, the razor sharp points of the sai aimed the young Saotome.  
"Hey, I don't want to fight you, but I'm also not giving up Shampoo." Said   
Ranma waving his hands in front of him.  
"Then I'll make you fight!" Mousse cried and lunged with the sai leading   
the way. Ranma dodged to the side, his visage blurring with movement. Mousse   
recovered, reversed the sai in his hands and whirled around with them aiming at   
Ranma's midsection. To Ranma's perspective Mousse was in slow motion, he was   
able to easily step away from the Chinese man's strike.  
"How can you move so fast?" Mousse asked as he caught his breath. "I   
should have skewered you just then." Ranma knew he was telling the truth, if he   
didn't have the training to use his Jurai powers Mousse would have gotten him   
with that move.  
"You don't want to fight me Mousse, I've changed." Ranma warned him.  
The martial artist dropped the sai and quickly produced a three-section   
staff. "Let's test that!" he cried. Mousse whirled around sending the sections   
of the weapon flying towards Ranma in one blindingly fast move. Ranma blurred   
for an instant just enough to change positions slightly and the weapon passed   
him harmlessly.  
"What the hell!" Mousse explained in shock.  
Mousse reacted quickly, threw out his right hand shooting out a long chain   
whip. Ranma has been expecting Mousse to make a move, but the chain caught him   
and wrapped around his body pinning his arms. "HA!" Mousse laughed. "You're   
not that good."  
Ranma eased his mind as Katsuhito taught him and focused on calling upon   
his Jurai power. There was still much he had to learn about his hidden   
abilities, so he simply tried something new out of the blue. Mousse gasped as   
Ranma began to shimmer with a golden glow then vanish. The chains with nothing   
now to hold them up just feel to the ground harmlessly. Mousse heard and felt   
something displace the air behind him. Before he could come around with the   
handful of shurikens he now had Ranma grabbed his arm and forced him to the   
ground.  
"You were saying." Ranma said. He wasn't even breaking a sweat. The   
girls hadn't moved during this entire exchange, they had been watching with   
total fascination and wonderment.  
"H-h-how did you do that?" Mousse asked in wonder. He'd seen many things,   
many wonders, many horrors, but nothing like actual honest to goodness   
'teleportation'!  
Ranma felt a gentle hand on his arm. He looked up into Shampoo's gentle   
eyes. "Let me talk to Mousse for moment." She said. "Alone."  
Ranma nodded and let the young man go. He stepped back and joined the   
other two girls who were still over by the great Juraian tree. Mousse sat up on   
the ground and looked at Ranma with awe and a new kind of respect. He knew   
Ranma was a strong martial artist, he knew about his ability to throw a chi   
blast, but powers like he demonstrated today were remarkable. Then, he looked   
up at Shampoo. The beautiful Chinese girl kneeled down in front of him and   
looked him in the eyes.  
"Shampoo I-" he began.  
"No, you listen." She interrupted.  
"It Shampoo's decision who she want to be with, not Mousse's." she went   
on. "I thank you for what you do on Togenkyo Island to save Shampoo, it was   
brave, but changes nothing." She told him.  
Mousse looked down at the ground. "I've been in love with you for as long   
as I remember, you're all I can think about." He said.  
"Mousse must forget Shampoo, move on, there more fish in sea." She said.  
"What about Akane?" Mousse asked.  
"She marry Ranma too." Shampoo told him. "And Ukyo."  
Mousse looked at her as if he didn't understand what she just said, then   
looked at Ranma and the other girls across the clearing. "You can't be serious,   
he's marrying all three of you!" he shouted.  
"Yes, there is much you not know Mousse, much you no understand." She   
explained.  
"Then help me to understand why I must live with my heart torn asunder."   
Said Mousse. Shampoo sighed. She really did like the young man, he was   
annoying at times, but she didn't like him enough to love him. Yet, she also   
didn't want him to suffer because of her either. "Shampoo will tell you then."   
She said.  
  
The house was a buzz with activity inside and out. Mousse wasn't sure   
what to expect. He remembered watching an American movie on TV once staring   
someone famous named Richard Dreyfus, if he read the English credit correctly.   
He often imagined what it would be like to meet real aliens. Mousse envisioned   
himself as Dreyfus walking up the ramp to the alien ship, looking at the   
wondrous interior with all of its exotic and beautiful sights and sounds. This   
"Close Encounter" was very different, these aliens were gorgeous babes.  
Mousse was fascinated with Sasami, she was the cutest thing he ever seen.   
She also made one of the best meals he'd ever tasted. If she worked at the   
ramen restaurant we'd be rolling in Yen!, he thought.  
Ranma and the girls sat with Tendo and Saotome. They hadn't let the cat   
out of the bag yet, they just sat together eating dinner quietly, but did notice   
the curious glances the two old men were giving them. Finally, Ranma decided to   
say something.  
"Dad, Mr. Tendo, everybody," he said to get their attention, they all   
looked his way. "I have an announcement to make."  
"Akane and I are getting married," he continued, Genma and Soun's faces   
lit up like two blazing suns just born. "But I'm also marrying Ukyo and   
Shampoo." The two older men dropped their chopsticks in unison and face   
faltered with a loud crash.  
"YOU'RE WHAT!" Soun cried after he climbs up to his feet.  
"HOLD ON HERE!" Genma joins him.  
Aeka clears her throat and stands up drawing the attention of the two   
irate fathers. "Lord Ranma is a member of the Royal Family of Planet Jurai, is   
in the Line of Succession to the throne, and as such has the right to marry as   
many wives as he so pleases." She said calmly. "In fact, it is his   
responsibility to do so, as a member of the Line of Succession he is expected to   
have many sons and daughters, this is only possible if he has more than one   
wife." She goes on.  
"But, how are they-" Genma started to ask.  
"The marriage will take place offworld of course, possibly the moon   
station where Seina Yamada got married." Said Aeka. Tenchi laughed, he   
remembered that 'interesting' day. He looked back on it as a prelude to what   
would happen to him, or what 'was' happening to him now. He remembered the look   
on the young GP Academy graduate's face during the ceremony as he was presented   
to his 'nine' wives. Lady Seto, of course, being the Great Manipulator that she   
had been instrumental in the whole affair. Tenchi often wondered when she would   
have one day returned to try and 'arrange' such a marriage for him. If she was   
planning something boy was she in for one major disappointment.  
"Look at this way Dad, once we're married to Ranma we'll be princesses."   
Akane smiled brightly.  
"Yes, and the marriage gifts from the royal family will be quite   
extensive." Said Aeka. "Uh, marriage gifts?" Soun and Genma asked at the same   
time.  
"Oh yes, Ranma will become 'quite' rich when the marriage is done." Aeka   
replied, smiling like a Cheshire cat. Seto would be proud of me., she thought   
to herself.  
"Well, maybe this isn't so bad after all, eh Tendo." Said Saotome.  
"Its what we dreamed of Saotome, and more." Tendo said, tears streaming   
down his cheeks.  
Ranma spoke up then, "There is one other thing, and Princess Aeka you   
could help out with this."  
"Oh?" she said curiously.  
  
Tenchi and Ranma stood together waving farewell to their friend. To   
Tenchi he was new friend, but Ranma has known the young man for some time now.   
The girls, Tenchi's six stood beside him, and Ranma's three stood beside him.   
In the background stood Noboyuki, Saotome, Tendo, and Katsuhito. Mousse waved   
back before turning around looking up into the interior of the great ship. It   
was called the Kamadake II, and walking up its boarding ramp made him 'feel'   
like he was reliving that scene in the American movie. The ramp slowly closed   
behind him and the huge GP cruiser slowly lifted off and roared across the sky   
into the horizon. Amane and Kiriko met Mousse and processed his GP Academy   
application. The young man looked out the window in the great ship's   
observation deck as the Earth quickly receded into the distance. He smiled, he   
was actually happy for Shampoo finally gaining the happiness she dreamed of   
having. He was also smiling for himself, a part of him was heartbroken to   
loosing Shampoo, but another part of him was happy too. Happy for the new life   
he was going lead, here he could forget Shampoo and start fresh with a new life.   
Mousse turned away from view of his homeworld disappearing into the distance, he   
looked forward towards the future, his bright new future in the Galaxy Police.  
__________  
CONTINUED IN PART 5...  
  
FAMILY REUNION - PART 5: The End of Summer  
  
Its time for the two families to go their separate ways. Yet, with the end of   
summer vacation something new and beautiful has begun. 


	5. Family Reunion Part 5

DISCLAIMER: The copyrights to Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki is owned by AIC Inc. and   
Pioneer LDC respectively. The copyrights to Ranma 1/2 are owned by Rumiko   
Takahashi and Pioneer LDC respectively. This work of fiction is not created for   
commercial purposes and is done for fan entertainment only without profit.  
__________  
  
F A M I L Y R E U N I O N  
  
PART 5: The End of Summer  
  
By Michael "TheZorch" Haney  
__________  
  
"AHHHHH!!!!" Ranma cried.  
She raised her arms to shield herself from the water Akane and Sasami were   
throwing into her face. The two girls were laughing and giggling. They stopped   
suddenly when Ranma began to shimmer with a golden light. A ten foot column of   
water rose out of the lake and loomed ominously over the two girls.  
"You wouldn't!" Akane dared.  
"You couldn't!" she continued.  
Ranma smiled.  
"He would." said Sasami calmly.  
SPLASH!!!! The girl came up after being driven down to the bottom of the   
lake just in time to hear Ranma's maniacal laughter, "Mwwwwaahahahahaha!"  
"No fair, we don't have powers!" Akane whined.  
Washu was at her side in an instant and handed her something that looked   
like a gun with a six inch wide barrel and a thick hose on the other end. "Try   
this on him." She said. Washu put the hose into the water. Akane switched the   
gun on, it made a sound like a jet engine revving up. Ranma's eyes went wide as   
a huge blast of water shot from the weapon and hit her in the chest. When she   
came up the girls were laughing.  
"I deserved that didn't I." Ranma said.  
Sasami and Akane both nodded their heads. Ukyo was swimming nearby, she   
looked at Ranma and started giggling. "What!?" Ranma said. Akane and Sasami   
started to giggle too, Shampoo from the shore where she was sun bathing was   
laughing, and Tenchi has a curious look on his face and a slight blush.  
"Feeling a 'draft' are we, Ranma honey?" Ukyo asked.  
Ranma looked down and blushed furiously. Now, when Ranma knows he's going   
to be swimming in cold water he tries to make sure he wears something   
appropriate for men and women both. This time around the girls talked him into   
wearing something more 'lady like'. 'She' was properly proportioned to wear one   
of Nabiki's two piece bikinis. Akane and Ukyo joked with him that 'she' looked   
really good in it. Ranma laughed it off, but the girls had to admit that as a   
girl Ranma did out do them in the looks department. Cup size was one of Ranma's   
redeeming attributes and right now 'her' attributes were exposed for all the   
world to admire. She quickly covered herself, grabbed up her bikini top that   
was floating next to her and dove into the water. Totally unable to hold it   
back anymore everyone including Tenchi broke out into hysterical laughter.  
Ranma surfaced freshly covered and folded her arms. "Its bad when you're   
jealous of your man because he has a better body than you do." Ukyo laughed.   
Akane laughed so hard she nearly feel back into the water.  
"That's a low blow Ukyo." Ranma sighed.  
Ryoko flew over and high-fived Ukyo. "And a damn good one too." The cyan   
haired beauty laughed.  
"Miss Shampoo, why don't you go for a swim?" asked Aeka. The Princess of   
Jurai was sunning herself on a beach blanket next to the Chinese girl.  
"She can't, she's got one of those Josenkyo curses." Said Washu. The   
diminutive genius was in a one piece green and beige swimsuit. Ukyo wore one of   
Nabiki's one piece swimsuits, Sasami was dressed in a frilly one piece that   
looked like a sailor outfit, Aeka's was in a one piece deal with a low back, and   
Ryoko wore a swimsuit that almost wasn't there.  
"What do you turn into?" Aeka asked.  
"Shampoo have nickname." The Chinese girl told her.  
"What's that?" asked Ryoko.  
Shampoo looked at her and Aeka and sighed, "Cat."  
"Oh!" Aeka said quickly.  
Ranma came out of the water and dried herself off, then she laid down on   
her beach towel next to Shampoo. "The sun feels good today." Ranma sighed   
feeling the warm go through her. Shampoo picked up her bottle of suntan lotion.   
"You want lotion?" she offered. "Sure." Said Ranma.  
Just as Shampoo started rubbing the lotion into Ranma's back Ryo-Ohki   
slowly slinked up to Ranma and gave out a loud, "MMMMIIYYYYAAAAA!!!!!"  
"YYYYYAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!" Ranma screamed. Tenchi cringed some as Ranma   
flew into the air and climbed up onto his shoulders at a blinding speed.  
"Ryo-Ohki!" Sasami scolded her. "Stop that!"  
"Miya!" the little Cabbit smiled happily before bounding off.  
The girls all giggled and laughed. Tenchi blushed a bit, his cousin's   
breasts were pressed into the back of his head. Ranma teleported back to her   
beach blanket and sighed. "If your going to be married to a girl who can turn   
into a cat you'd better learn to start liking them." Said Ryoko.  
"Its not that I don't like them, its that I can't stand to be around   
them." Ranma explained. "It's complicated."  
  
Nightfall came and it was starting to get late. Ranma, a boy again,   
pulled off his shirt and slipped into his green nightshirt. Akane, Ukyo and   
Shampoo came in dressed in nightgowns. Ukyo and Shampoo had to borrow theirs   
from Akane since they didn't bring any extra outfits with them. Also, since   
Akane and Ranma were sharing a room it was decided that the other girls also do   
the same. Extra pallets were brought in for the girls earlier that day.  
"Our fourth night sleeping in the same room with Ranma." Said Ukyo.  
"Nihao, any more come." Said Shampoo.  
Ranma yawned loudly. "Well, at least you three don't snore like pop   
does." He said. Ukyo and Shampoo just laughed.  
"Genma Saotome, Mr. Buzz Saw." Laughed Akane.  
Ranma and Akane looked at each other. As if they were both thinking on   
the same wavelength, which they were but mind reading wasn't one of Ranma's new   
abilities, they nodded and Akane turned to the other girls. "There is something   
the two of you need to know." She said. It was something the two of them   
decided to tell the girls. After four nights of sleeping in the same room it   
was only right that they knew.  
"Uh, well, to put it bluntly Ranma and I have been 'intimate'." Akane   
explained. "Yeah?" Said Ukyo.  
"What you talk about?" asked Shampoo.  
"You know, 'intimate'." Akane told them putting more emphasis on the word.  
Ukyo and Shampoo's eyes went wide as they both understood what she said.   
Ranma sighed, the looks the girls were giving him reminded him of how lions   
looked before they pounced on their prey.  
"Two times." Akane went on adding fuel to the fire.  
Ukyo gave her a broad smile. "Was he good?" she and Shampoo asked at the   
same time. Akane answered with a Cheshire cat grin which the other two girls   
mirrored and directed at him. Ranma rolled his eyes, fell back onto his pallet   
and threw his pillow over his face. What 'have' I gotten myself into?, he asked   
himself.  
  
Two wonderful months passed. Ranma and family had seen many marvelous and   
wondrous things since coming to the Masaki home but what they were seeing now   
was the most impressive of them all. The Masaki, Tendo, and Saotome families   
were gathered together, they watched in fascination as the sun slowly appeared,   
from behind the beautiful rings of Saturn! They stood onboard the command deck   
of the Ryo-Ohki. There was only one week of summer vacation left so everybody   
was making the most the time they had together..  
"Its so beautiful." Ukyo said, she hung onto Ranma's arm, tears were   
welling up in her eyes. "Looks better in person rather than through the camera   
of some primitive space probe doesn't it." Said Washu.  
"It certainly is, big." Akane commented.  
"Look like big marble." Said Shampoo.  
"Saturn is larger than the Earth, yet the material it's made up of is so   
light that if you could shrink the planet it would float in Earth's oceans   
easily." Washu explained. Everyone went "Wow!" at the same time.  
"This is nothing, you should see Gamma-Draconus." Said Ryoko.  
"What's there?" Tenchi asked.  
"A red giant star orbiting by a black hole." Washu answered. "Material   
from the star is being pulled into the black hole creating a rather dramatic   
light show."  
"The universe is certainly a very beautiful place." Kasumi sighed looking   
out at the majesty of the giant ringed planet. Sasami stood next to her looking   
out of the observation dome that covered Ryo-Oki's bridge.  
Ryoko grunted. "It 'can be' and 'is' a very deadly place too." She said.   
"Wandering the cosmos is not always a very safe thing to do." She teleported   
over to Ryo-Ohki's controls. The view of the giant ringed planet began to   
recede into the distance, the stars began to streak by at a rapid pace.  
"Where are we going?" Tenchi asked as he leaned over Ryoko's shoulder.   
She smiled, leaned up and kissed his cheek and said, "There is one more sight to   
see before we go home." The trip took almost twenty minutes before the passage   
of the stars began to slow, everyone raced to one side of the bridge to look at   
one of the most incredible sights they had ever seen before.  
"My god what is that?" Ukyo gasped.  
Before then was a massive celestial body. It spun around like a galaxy,   
a vast glowing disk of light. The center of the disk was a void of total   
darkness. The Ryo-Ohki swept low over the swirling disk and soon it became   
clear that it was made up of dust and other material. "Infrared and radio   
spectrum Ryo-Ohki." Ryoko ordered. Everyone gasped in wonder as the massive   
object suddenly lit up with vibrant colors. And, like a great torrent a massive   
spray of bright light emitted out from the middle of dark region extending   
light-years into space.  
"It's a black hole." Tenchi said realizing what he was seeing. He'd seen   
pictures of them before in books and in videos played at school. "Is it safe   
for us to be this close?" Akane asked.  
"It's not just any black hole." Said Washu. "This one is the super   
massive class at the center of our galaxy. I guess you could say this old girl   
is the mother of our galaxy for it is because of her the Milky Way formed in the   
first place."  
"Huh?" everyone gasped.  
"You kidding!" shouted Shampoo.  
"I never kid where science is concerned." Washu replied. "Most galaxies   
form because they have these massive bodies at their centers. The immense   
gravitational pull of the black hole is what brought all of the material of our   
galaxy together in the time of primordial."  
"Amazing." Ranma breathed. He knew things like this existed, but actually   
seeing it for himself gave him a new respect for the forces of Mother Nature.  
"Are we safe here?" Nabiki asked.  
"Oh yeah, we'd have to practically be inside of the event horizon before   
we're in danger of being pulled in." Washu reassured her.  
"The last time I saw a black hole was on Dr. Clay's ship." Said Mihoshi.   
Ryoko cringed from being reminded of that embarrassing day. She still had the   
side-effects of being merged with Zero. Her sweet gushy personality sometimes   
found some way of manifesting itself in her. She didn't mind if it happened in   
the presence of Tenchi when they were alone, but it was embarrassing around   
others sometimes.  
Ryo-Ohki gave a series of meows that nearly made Ranma collapse. "Ok, ok,   
I know about that." Washu told her. "What is it, Miss Washu?" Saotome asked.  
"We're safe from the gravity, but not the radiation and Ryo-Ohki's   
radiation shielding is reaching maximum tolerance levels." Explained Washu.  
"Let's go home Ryo-Ohki." Ryoko told her. "Miya!" the Cabbit ship meowed   
in reply and the ship pulled quickly away from the massive and powerful   
celestial body. It took nearly thirty minutes before the blue globe of the   
Earth became visible to everyone on the Ryo-Ohki. Ryoko slowed the ship down as   
they passed the moon to give everyone a chance to look around and enjoy the   
sights.  
"I guess this is how things looked to the guys from the Apollo program."   
Said Ranma. As they neared Earth Ranma noticed something in the sky. He   
squinted then realized he recognized it. "Hey!" he yelled. "There's the   
International Space Station!" Everyone turned to look where he was pointing.   
Sure enough, in the distance was the huge Earth-built space platform.  
"Can't they see us?" Kasumi asked.  
Washu shook her head. "Nope, we're in stealth mode." She said. "It   
became necessary to add that feature into Ryo-Ohki's main OS after they started   
building that thing." Mihoshi walked up and said, "Also, after the station went   
up Earth classification was changed to 'none interference class 2'.  
"What does that mean?" Soun asked.  
"It means no ships without cloaking devices are allowed anywhere near this   
planet." Said Mihoshi.  
Shampoo suddenly gasped and pointed out into space and cried, "Why Shampoo   
can see that ship?!" Washu whirled around and look for what Shampoo had seen.   
She spotted the ship quickly, it was large, larger than the Ryo-Ohki and the   
Earthling space station. "What the hell!" she exclaimed.  
"They are in blatant violation of Galactic Union law 334579, no uncloaked   
ships are allowed in this area!" shouted Mihoshi. Washu rolled her eyes then   
turned to Ryoko. "Try to hail them." She said. Ryoko nodded.  
"They're not responding, mom." Said Ryoko.  
"Miya, miya miya miya!" Ryo-Ohki cried out quickly.  
"We've just been scanned and they're locking weapons on us!" Ryoko   
exclaimed.  
"They're what?!" Ranma, Akane, Shampoo, and Ukyo yelled at the same time.  
The floor beneath everyone's feet rumbled and shifts slightly. "Hold on   
everybody!" Ryoko shouted. "Evasive action Ryo-Ohki, full speed!" The Ryo-Ohki   
pulled away from the massive alien ship following the curvature of the Earth.   
Soon even the space station could no longer be seen. The alien ship appeared   
quickly as it increased speed to follow them. A bright blue, high-resolution   
beam streaked out from the alien ship and exploded against Ryo-Ohki's hull. The   
girls all screamed in fright and grabbed onto Ranma. Soun and Mihoshi started   
running around the bridge spraying the place down with tears.  
"Dammit!" Ryoko cursed.  
"Ryo-Ohki, return fire!" Ryoko ordered. "MMMIIYYYAAAA!" cried the Cabbit   
ship as it unleashed a blast of crimson light. A bright explosion blossomed on   
the outer hull of the alien ship. Suddenly, everyone was jerked off their feet   
as the floor fell away beneath them.  
"Oh no, a tractor beam!" Washu cried.  
A glowing ball of green light materialized in the center of the spacious   
bridge. Ryoko's hair suddenly stood up on end when she saw it. She'd seen that   
sort of effect before many times, and hoped she would never have to see it again   
for the rest of her life. Washu also cringed when she saw it. The ball erupted   
on one said and folded in on itself revealing a person inside. He was tall,   
wearing write robes, and had white hear and piercing yellow eyes. Aeka, Sasami,   
and Mihoshi all gave out a stifled cry.  
"NO, IT CAN'T BE!" Ryoko cried not wanting to believe who she was seeing.  
"Nice to see you all again, its been too long." Said Kagato.  
A sound like a pop and a sizzle filled the chamber and Tenchi stepped out   
from the group with the Master Key ignited in his hand. "I defeated you once   
Kagato, I can do it again." He warned.  
"Oh I am so frightened." Kagato replied sarcastically. "I hope you can   
handle that sword better than last time, I'd hate to waste my time humiliating   
you again."  
Tenchi saw movement in the corner of his eye. He chanced looking to his   
side for just a moment and saw Ranma standing there in a fighting stance. "So   
you're the one they call Kagato." He said. "Though you were dead."  
Kagato swept his arm and cape up as he bowed with dramatic flair. "The   
reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated, and you are new aren't you I   
don't remember seeing you before."  
"My name is Ranma, I'm Tenchi's cousin, and the two of us are gonna bring   
you down." Ranma growled. "Again."  
"Are you, boastful words for a mere human." Kagato smirked.  
"I am here because with her final breath my master restored my life."   
Kagato went on. "Now I will take revenge not only for my death, but for the   
death of my queen. Lady Tokimi."  
"I knew it, it all makes sense now!" Washu shouted. "She was the one who   
'corrupted' you from the very beginning!"  
Kagato bowed low towards his former professor. "Why yes, Professor." He   
said. "I am rather surprised it took you this long to figure it out." Kagato   
opened his palm and called forth a ball of green energy which he gripped in his   
fingers to form a sword.  
"Now, I bid you all a fond farewell." He laughed. "I hope you all have no   
regrets in the afterlife."  
Ranma charged up, glowing brightly as he did so and cried out, "Like hell   
you will!" The young Saotome released his energy in a powerful blast that took   
Kagato completely off guard. He didn't sense any power within the young human,   
the same way he couldn't sense any power within Tenchi. The young First Prince   
of Jurai had already abandoned the Master Key and called upon the Light Hawk   
Wings. He was already merging with them to form the holy armor and sword he   
used to destroy Kagato once before, and to defeat Lady Tokimi.  
"What is this?!" Kagato cried out. He was only partly success in   
shielding himself from Ranma attack. "But how can this be?!" he want on in   
bewilderment.  
A series of massive explosions caught everyone's attention. They looked   
out to see Kagato's ship imploding on itself. A massive spaceship surrounded by   
ten brightly glowing, gossamer Light Hawk Wings flew past battering the alien   
ship with withering fire power. Sasami smiled brightly, she knew everything was   
going to be ok.  
"I will not be defeated again!" Kagato cried. He threw himself towards   
the group, but suddenly had Ranma in his path. The young Saotome let out a   
karate battle cry and began slamming Kagato hard with blindingly fast Chestnut   
Fist punches. Ranma's fists were supplemented with the Power of Jurai, and to   
Kagato each impact was like hitting a brick wall at a hundred miles per hour.   
The evil space pirate stumbled backwards trying to get his bearings again, but   
as he looked up all he saw before the darkness too him was Tenchi's Light Hawk   
Sword making a downward arc straight down between his eyes.  
  
Ranma had been hoping for an exciting summer vacation, but this was   
ridiculous. First, he learned his mother's family were all aliens and/or half-  
aliens. He also was not only part alien but a member of a powerful family of   
extraterrestrial royalty. Then, Ryoga and Kuno tried to kill him because they   
thought he was some sort of 'Space Monster' controlling Akane's mind. Next the   
two girls who are totally nuts about him to the point of being obsessive showed   
up and he ends up deciding to marry them and Akane. And now, now he's kicking   
the butt of an intergalactic scumbag that was supposed to be dead but was   
brought back to life by an evil goddess Tenchi supposedly killed a year ago.   
That alone would have been enough to drive a man to drink, or insane; which ever   
came first! As it was, Ranma was enjoying a glass of iced honey-lemon tea and   
allowing the warm waters of the onsen to ease away the tension. Tenchi sat next   
to him trying to do that same. This too was an eventful summer for the young   
first prince.  
"I'm sorry about all of that earlier." Tenchi apologized.  
"Hey, don't worry about it." Ranma waved to him.  
"We all thought Kagato was really dead." Tenchi said.  
"We really kicked his tail though didn't we, cousin." Ranma smiled.  
Tenchi smiled. "He wasn't expecting to be double teamed like that at any   
rate." He laughed. Ranma joined him and they both laughed. "Say, is Nerima   
this 'exciting'?" Tenchi asked Ranma.  
"Oh, there is always something going on in Nerima?" Ranma told him.  
Tenchi took Ranma's glass, filled it and his own. "Well, I've been   
thinking and decided I'll go to college in Nerima." Tenchi said handing the   
glass to his cousin. Ranma looked at him as he did a Spock Maneuver. "Yeah?"   
said Ranma surprised. "You know you can stay with us like Mr. Tendo offered."  
"Yeah, and the girls can visit after Washu connects her lab to the house   
in Nerima." Said Tenchi. "She said it would only take a few minutes to set it   
up." "Oh, so they'd have to travel through the lab to get to my house?" asked   
Ranma. Tenchi shook his head and replied, "Washu said it was the easiest way,   
and more Mihoshi proof."  
"Huh?" Ranma said questioningly.  
"Lets just say Mihoshi and Washu's technology don't get along too well   
together." Tenchi smiled. "Oh, I see." Said Ranma. Like Akane and cooking.,   
thought Ranma.  
"So, you're going to marry all five girls I hear." Ranma went on.  
Tenchi sighed. "I should have known this would be my fate when we were   
invited to Seina Yamada's wedding on the moon." He said. "Who is he, I keep   
hearing his name?" Ranma asks. Tenchi look a sip of his tea and clear his   
throat. "He 'was' a fellow student in high school, I was his sempai." Tenchi   
explained. "Then one day he just vanished and I didn't see him for several   
months until he showed up with a bunch of female Galaxy Police officers."  
"He joined the GP Academy, not on purpose anyway, but he was enjoying   
himself and thought it was the best thing that ever happened to him." Tenchi   
continued. "He and the girls left for a long time and then we were all invited   
to the moon for his wedding. He was marrying four wives originally, another one   
of Lady Seto's classic 'arranged' marriages, but she had an added twist to it   
and he ended up getting hitched to nine instead."  
"NINE!" Ranma exclaimed in shock.  
"Nine." Said Tenchi calmly.  
"He's going to be one 'busy' man." Ranma sighed.  
Tenchi started laughing and Ranma looked at him funny. "It wasn't 'that'   
funny." Said Ranma. "If only you were there when it happened you'd understand   
everything." Tenchi laughed.  
"What happened?" Ranma asked, his curiosity now fully peaked.  
  
Ryoko, Aeka, and Washu sat up on the roof of the Masaki home. It was not   
because they wanted to get away from the general chaos of the house, but because   
they just wanted to enjoy the breeze. Now with summer soon coming to a close   
the hot days were getting cooler. It was still another month before Autumn   
officially started. Soon the trees in the small valley and around the lake   
would start to change color blanketing the land in vibrant hues of yellow,   
orange, red, and brown.  
"It sure has been an interesting summer." Said Aeka.  
"Yes it certainly has." Said Washu.  
"Pretty exciting." Said Ryoko.  
The sun was setting now on a day that was almost less than perfect. An   
outing in Ryo-Ohki with the family had been a good idea. Running into one of   
their worst mortal enemies who was supposed to be dead wasn't a part of the   
schedule though. They were all thankful that nobody was seriously injured,   
except for perhaps Kagato whom the three hoped was dead for good now. In the   
horror and excitement Ranma had proven himself in that brief moment. He and   
Tenchi both dispatched the vile man in only a few seconds. Aeka had been   
secretly afraid that if Ranma had possessed no significant powers to protect   
himself someone from one of the other royal houses would take advantage of that   
to kidnap him in order to extort Tenchi. Now that she saw first hand what the   
young Second Prince of Jurai was capable of she wasn't afraid. Any who dared to   
threaten him would have a very rude awaken.  
"I wonder what Tenchi's going to do." Aeka said.  
Ryoko looked at her. "Do what?" she asked.  
"After he graduates, I mean." Aeka replied.  
"He's going to Nerima." Said Washu in a matter of fact tone.  
The other two girls looked at her in surprise. "He came and talked to me   
before he and Ranma went up to the onsen." She went on. "I told him it sounded   
like a good idea and that I was going to connect the Tendo house up to my lab so   
we could go visit him whenever we wanted to."  
"This is the first I've heard of this." Said Aeka.  
"Yeah!" Ryoko seconded her.  
"He made the decision I guess after the fight with Kagato." Washu   
explained. "He said something about wanting to stay near Ranma to continue his   
training and stuff like that."  
"That makes sense." Aeka surmised.  
"So we can see him like whenever?" asked Ryoko.  
"Anytime we want." Washu answered her.  
"Cool." Ryoko replied.  
A delicious aroma wafted its way up to the roof. That Kasumi can really   
cook up a storm, and that Ukyo isn't bad either., thought Ryoko. She was happy   
for Ranma for having Ukyo around. Akane had been in the kitchen one day and   
made something simple, and of course thinking it was something Sasami made Ryoko   
decided to try it. That was a very bad idea. After about ten antacids and four   
laxatives Ryoko's digestive system returned to normal. Akane was banned from   
the kitchen except when she was going to get herself some water or a bottle of   
cola from the refrigerator.  
"Just one more week and they all go home." Said Ryoko.  
"Summer vacation is almost over that fast." Aeka sighed.  
"Time flies when your having fun." Said Washu.  
Ryoko scooted down and laid back on the roof tiles. "I'm gonna miss   
them." She said. Washu did the same and put her arms behind her head. "Oh come   
on, it's not like we're never going to see them again." Said Washu.  
"We will have Tenchi to ourselves until next June when he graduates."   
Washu continued.  
"When are his college classes going to start, or do you know?" Aeka asked   
as she laid down also. "Probably in September most likely." Washu guessed.  
"Its not like he's going away forever and we won't be able to see him."   
Washu went on.  
"I know, its just, well, we've never been apart from Tenchi in what, four   
years." Says Ryoko. "There has never been a time where we have been away from   
Tenchi for longer than a week, and that was during the war." Said Aeka.  
"There is one thing though, we won't have to worry about anymore." Washu   
told them. "He's ours and we're his, and nobody is going to come between us."  
"That is one thing we won't have to worry about." Aeka laughed.  
"There is one thing to worry about though." Said Ryoko. Aeka and Washu   
both looked at her. "Ranma, what is going to happen with Ranma when the royals   
on Jurai find out about him?" Ryoko asked. "You remember their reaction to   
Tenchi just before the war started don't you?" She went on.  
Aeka sighed. "That was my father's doing." She said. "Grandmother Seto   
thankfully put a stop to it." If there was anyone in the entire universe who   
had any real power over the King of Jurai it was Lady Seto. Even the king was   
not immune to her political prowess and influence in the Holy Council. On top   
that the grandmother of his daughters scared the living daylights out of him.  
"I could speak to Lady Seto about Ranma to see if she could make certain   
'opportunistic' people in the royal family do not get any ideas." She continued.  
"Sometimes I really wonder who really is in charge of Jurai, your father   
or your grandmother." Ryoko laughed. Aeka laugh also. "Push comes to shove   
Seto has more political clout than anybody in the royal family including Azusa."   
Said Washu. "Poor Seina is a prime example, that woman scares the hell out of   
even me." Washu went on and laughed.  
  
Ranma's first reaction to Tenchi's 'vivid' description of what happened on   
Seina's wedding day was a severe nose bleed followed by uncontrolled laughter.   
Soon the two climbed out of the bath, dried themselves off and got dressed.   
Ranma was still giggling when they reached the house.  
"Damn, I guess he got a head start making a family before the honeymoon   
even began." Ranma laughed.  
"I'll just say this, after that happened I started watching my back more   
often because Ryoko is very 'impressionable'." Laughed Tenchi. "You know,   
Akane, Ukyo and Shampoo are all three very beautiful, but the girls you have are   
just total knock outs." Said Ranma. The memory of the day at the hot springs   
and seeing Ryoko and Aeka 'exposed' for the first time appeared clearly in   
Tenchi's mind. "Believe me, I am quite aware of just how beautiful the girls   
are." He said.  
Mihoshi and Nabiki met them at the door. The two were setting the dinner   
table out on the patio. "Uh, I remember what happened the last time we had a   
dinner out here." Said Tenchi. Mihoshi blushed furiously. "Today's my day off,   
so no worries." She said. Tenchi patted her shoulder, smiled, and kissed her on   
the cheek.  
"Yoo-hoo, Tenchi!" Ryoko yelled from the roof. "What are you three doing   
up there?" he asked them. Washu just shrugged her shoulders. "Just hanging   
out." She said. "Where's grandpa?" Tenchi asked. "Saw him head up to the   
shrine." Says Ryoko. "And, your father went to town with Mr. Tendo and Mr.   
Saotome." Said Aeka.  
"Oh, ok." Tenchi replied with a smile.  
Sasami with Ryo-Ohki perched on her head came out carrying the first of   
several bowls of food. "Hi Tenchi, dinner is almost ready." She said.  
"Smells great Sasami." Says Ranma, and Sasami blushes. "Ukyo is making   
okonomiyaki." Said Sasami. "You know, Sasami, you, Ukyo and Shampoo could open   
a restaurant together and you'd probably make millions." Said Ranma. The little   
girl blushed even more furiously and giggled as she scampered back into the   
house.  
"Oh, by the way, speaking of Sasami I didn't tell you Tenchi but I met her   
other half." Ranma explained as they entered the house. "Her other half, oh,   
you mean you met Tsunami?" Tenchi replied doing a Spock Maneuver. Ranma nodded,   
"Yes, she came to me the day we both 'changed our lives forever'."  
"She has an uncanny tendency to do that." Said Tenchi with a smirk.  
"I still find it hard to believe that cute little girl is going to become   
her one day." Said Ranma. "Of all the girls here she had them all beat."  
Tenchi laughed, "Don't let Aeka and Ryoko hear you say that, them is   
fighting words, pilgrim." He tried using a John Wayne accent for that last   
part, but with his already thick oriental accent it came out sounding funny and   
the two nearly feel over laughing. Ranma hope Akane didn't hear him or he'd be   
on the wrong end of a mallet very soon.  
Ranma put his arm around Tenchi's shoulder and said, "We're both cursed   
with having incredibly beautiful women chasing us." Tenchi laughed, "It's gotta   
be a family trait or something." Ranma couldn't help it, he hit the floor   
laughing at the top of his lungs. Something told Tenchi that living at the   
Tendo house was going to be a very interesting adventure.  
  
The Masaki family, Saotome family, and Tendo family sat at the outdoor   
dinner table. Tiki torches were set up around the patio for light, and there   
were a few candles on the table. The night air was warm with a soft, cool   
breeze flowing in over the lake. It was a perfect night for a dinner under the   
stars. The food was an incredible feast of flavors and textures. Some of it   
was made by Sasami, some by Ukyo and the rest by Shampoo. The three were   
masters of the culinary arts and this dinner showed there prowess in the kitchen   
was quite formidable. Sasami made more traditional Japanese dishes while Ukyo   
introduced the Masaki family to the unique dishes that were okonomiyaki, and   
Shampoo demonstrated that ramen didn't have to be boring.  
"Wow, Ranma had better have one hell of a metabolism because if he eats   
like this every night he'll start expanding." Laughed Ryoko.  
"Who, him?" Akane asked pointing a thumb Ranma's way. "He could eat like   
a horse and never gain a single pound. I hate him!" Ranma laughed and kissed   
her on the cheek.  
"So, Tenchi, Mr. Tendo tells me you decided to go to school in Nerima."   
Said Noboyuki. "It wasn't a hard decision, Nekomi Tech has better architecture   
classes, and at least in Nerima I'll have family there." Said Tenchi, the girls   
looked at him funny. "And also the girls can come and visit freely without   
raising too much suspicion."  
"It would be strange for girls to suddenly show up in your dorm room at   
all hours of the day and night." Said Katsuhito. The girls looked at one   
another and nodded in agreement. "Besides, Ranma's powers could still use some   
refinement and who better to help him than me." Tenchi said.  
"So the student becomes the teacher now, eh?" Says Katsuhito with a smirk.  
"Grandpa." Retorted Tenchi.  
"Just toying with you Tenchi." Said the old priest. "Yet, in truth you   
have learned all that I can teach you. Perhaps it is time for you to pass on   
what you have learned."  
"Maybe, if he is willing Tenchi could work with us as well and learn the   
Anything Goes style." Genma suggested. Katsuhito stifled a cringe. He learned   
to like the man who was his son-in-law, but he still thought his choice of   
martial arts disciplines needed serious reconsideration.  
"It sure is a beautiful night, not a cloud in the sky." Said Kasumi.  
"Yes, very beautiful." Shampoo agreed.  
Nabiki pointed into the sky and said, "There's a cloud, see that patch   
where there are no stars." Everyone looked up and indeed there was a patch of   
sky where there were no clouds. Suddenly, that area of darkness changed   
direction.  
Washu called up her translucent computer and said, "That is no cloud I'm   
afraid, it's a Juraian starship, and a first generation ship from the power   
output I'm reading here."  
Right on cue flood lights from the ship overhead began to shine down on   
the ground. The lights panned over the lake and then the house. The low rumble   
of the gravitic propulsion system of the Juraian ships began to fill the air as   
it got closer. Tenchi tried to tell whose ship it was from its silhouette, but   
Aeka recognized the ship first.  
"Its Lady Seto!" she announced.  
"Grandma Seto, hurray!" Sasami cheered.  
"What in the universe is she doing here?" asked Ryoko.  
"I don't know, she does have very interesting timing, and we have more   
than enough food for one more person at the table." Said Aeka. The ship slowly   
descended over the lake and stopped there. Everyone left the table and went to   
the edge of the lake to await whoever it was in the ship. The telltale light of   
a teleportation beam filled the air and a person materialized in front of them.  
When Sasami referred to Seto as 'grandma' Ranma was expecting a doddering   
old crone, but what greeted his eyes was anything but old. Seto had long teal   
hair with large bangs, here eyes were beautiful and intense. She was indeed   
very stunning and had an almost sensual air about her.  
"Grandma!" Sasami cheer as she ran towards the woman.  
"Oh, Sasami, darling I've missed you." Seto said as she caught the little   
girl in her arms. Aeka walked up in a more dignified manner and bowed   
respectfully. "Lady Seto, I'm pleased to see you, you're looking well." She   
said. Seto fixed her eye a cold eye that made Aeka cringe. "We aren't in the   
royal courts, and we are family Aeka." She said.  
"I'm sorry." The first princess apologized and received a hug from her   
grandmother. Seto fixed her eyes on Tenchi and it made the hair on the back of   
his neck stand up on end. "Well, you're still looking quite handsome Tenchi."   
Seto said to him, an almost seductive look in her eyes.  
"Uh, well, uh, I-" Tenchi tried to say but his tongue got I the way.  
"Lady Seto, I've heard quite a bit about you milady." Said Ranma.  
Seto looked at him and did a Spock Maneuver. "And who is this nice young   
man?" she asked. "I am Ranma Saotome, Tenchi's cousin and grandson to Lord   
Yosho." Ranma replied.  
For the very first and probably last time ever Aeka saw a startled look on   
Seto's face. It wasn't often the Devil Princess of Jurai was taken off guard.   
She smiled at Ranma, looked him up and down and then turned to Katsuhito.   
"Well, it seems you've been keeping secrets from me Yosho." She smirked.  
"I was unaware of his existence only until earlier this year." The old   
priest told her truthfully. "I see." Says Seto.  
"He possesses the Jurai Power." Katsuhito added.  
Seto's smile broadened, Aeka remembered seeing that smile before just   
before Seto had some interesting idea. "Does he now." She said.  
"Don't go playing match maker yet, Seto." Washu spoke up. "He's already   
engaged, to three very lovely ladies." Seto look also disappointed at that then   
turned back to Tenchi. "I am also engaged, to Aeka, Ryoko, Mihoshi, Washu, and   
Sasami." He said. Seto's smile became a Cheshire cat grin. "You're taking all   
the fun out of this for me you know that." She said.  
"I'll assume then your visit isn't just a social call." Katsuhito guessed.   
Seto nodded, "Azusa sent to me to request that Tenchi make his intentions   
towards Aeka, Sasami, or anyone, and if he doesn't I was to step in."  
"Lovely." Said Ryoko sarcastically.  
"Nice to see you too Ryoko." Seto replied with the same tone.  
  
The rest of the night was a very happy affair. Seto was very impressed   
with Ukyo and Shampoo's cooking. Despite the fact that she made the trip to   
Earth for nothing she decided to make the most of it by getting to know the   
newest members of the royal family. Ranma was very fascinating to her, not that   
she was interested in him, she was happily married to a man she loved very much.   
She wanted to learn all she could about him. He was in the line of succession   
to the throne after all. Later on, Aeka and Washu took her to the side to speak   
to Seto privately.  
"I do know why you want to talk to me." Said Seto.  
"Good, the first step is out of the way then." Said Washu. "I'll get to   
the point, who would most likely become a threat to Ranma?"  
Seto waved her hand at Washu. "The usual suspects, Seiryuu's rather   
dysfunctional rabble for one." Seto said. "The same who challenged the validity   
of Tenchi's heritage." Washu said in a matter of fact tone.  
"I doubt they would try to do the same here since it is establish that he   
is Yosho's grandson." Seto said. "The Holy Council ruled that is enough to   
determine validity of lineage, the same would hold true for Ranma."  
"I just don't want something unexpectedly to come out of the blue on us."   
Said Washu. "Yes, we must protect Lord Ranma until he has learned knowledge   
enough about the Jurai political system to protect himself." Aeka added.  
"Do not worry, I will see to it that none dare come." Said Seto. "Believe   
me when I say I can guarantee no one from the royal family will come here to   
make trouble."  
"Thank you grandmother." Aeka smiled.  
"Grandmother, instead of Lady Seto, there is hope for you yet Aeka." Seto   
smiled back.  
  
With Lady Seto staying the night Tenchi decided to take the couch. He   
couldn't stay with the girls because they were bunking with Akane's sisters.   
Tenchi fluffed up his pillow and got ready to lay down when he felt a sudden,   
slight gust of air behind him. He felt that sort of effect for several years   
now and he knew it was the sign of one thing and one thing only. A pair of arms   
wrapped around him from behind, a pair of soft breasts pressed into his back.  
"Hi, Ryoko." He said with a smile.  
"How you know it's me?" she asked.  
"Who else teleports behind me and presses her, you know, into my back like   
that." He told her turning around to look her in the eye. Ryoko tightened her   
hold on him and laughed. It was so good to be able to hold him without him   
fighting me off., she thought.  
"Come to tuck me in?" Tenchi asked.  
"Actually, I couldn't sleep." She said.  
"Kagato?" he asked her, knowing the answer before she even said it. Ryoko   
rested her head on his shoulder and he reached back and patted her arm. "He's   
gone for good now." He reassured her.  
"Tokimi is gone, she can't bring him back." He went on.  
Tenchi felt moisture on his shoulder. She's crying., he told himself.   
Tenchi turned around onto his knees wrapping his arms around the beautiful ex-  
space pirate. Her shoulders began to shake as the sobs came. Tenchi didn't say   
anything, he just let her cry it out. Damn you Kagato, you had better stay dead   
this time you bastard!, thought Tenchi. He tightened his embrace pulling her   
closer to him.  
"I love you Tenchi." Ryoko spoke softly into his ear.  
"I love you too." He told her just as softly.  
Ryoko pulled back just enough to look into Tenchi's eyes. She could see   
the compassionate look I his eyes, but this time it was combined with love.   
Tenchi did something she wasn't expecting at that moment, he kissed her. It was   
a long, romantic kiss, like the ones she'd dreamed of. In fact, they 'were'   
finally together, but it was Tenchi who had made the first move. Ryoko returned   
his kiss which was deeper and filled with longing. This went on for several   
minutes, the two exchanging kisses as their hands began to rove about. Tenchi   
pulled Ryoko up over the back of the couch and laid back with Ryoko on top of   
him.  
"Please." Ryoko pleaded longingly.  
Tenchi didn't nose bleed, but instead blushed. He knew what she wanted,   
and strangely enough it was what 'he' wanted also.  
"I need you." She went on softly.  
Tenchi kissed her softly as his hands began to work the buttons of her   
nightshirt. "I need you too." He whispered. Ryoko's eyes went wide with   
surprise, she tried to speak but Tenchi's next kiss silenced her.  
"Oh, Tenchi." Ryoko cooed later, tears forming in her eyes.  
"Don't cry." Tenchi whispered.  
Ryoko wiped the tears away and said, "They're tears of joy."  
Tenchi let Ryoko's nightshirt fall to the floor just as she was almost   
done with his. When he's shirt hit the floor next to hers Tenchi pulled his   
sheet over them. The feeling of Ryoko's soft skin against his turned the fire   
inside of him into a roaring blaze. The living room was dark now with only the   
light of the moon shining outside. Tenchi left behind any misgivings he had   
concerning Ryoko, he knew how he really felt about her, how he always felt but   
could never admit it. He expressed those feelings on the living room couch that   
night, a night Ryoko would cherish for the rest of her existence.  
  
The entire family gathered outside the next morning to see Lady Seto off.   
The beautiful, green haired matriarch of the Masaki Royal Family waved farewell   
to everyone before her ship's teleportation beam locked on. Her massive   
starship of Juraian wood, wood stronger than the strongest metal on Earth,   
lifted up away from the lake and soared rapidly through the sky. Everyone   
watched until the massive ship could no longer be seen.  
"Question, can Ranma get big spaceship too?" Shampoo asked.  
"If he's summoned he will." Aeka told her.  
"Summoned?" Akane said questioningly.  
"Yes, by the trees, every member of the royal family with exception of   
Tenchi has been called by a royal tree to become its bondmate." Aeka explained.  
"I remember you telling us about that in the onsen a while back." Said   
Nabiki. "What's this about trees calling people?" Ukyo asked.  
"You know that big tree where we talked the other day?" Ranma asked her.   
Ukyo smiled warmly and nodded, she would always remember that place in her   
heart. "Well, that tree is like a big living computer and it was a part of my   
grandfather's spaceship when it crashed here seven hundred years ago."  
"You mean that tree no from Earth." Shampoo asked in surprise.  
"The tree is called Fonaho-Oh, same name as my great grandmother on   
Jurai." Said Tenchi.  
"The trees speak to us telepathically, and those bonded with a tree is   
given the gift of a very long life." Aeka explained.  
"Like how long?" Ukyo asked. Aeka looked at Tenchi and wondered if it was   
a good idea to tell them. She sighed and he nodded his head and she said, "When   
my brother's mother, Fonaho, left the Earth to live on Jurai with our father as   
his queen Japan was still in the feudal era."  
"WHAT??!" both Ukyo and Shampoo cried at once.  
"My father is very close to four thousand years old, and will likely live   
another eight or ten thousand years." Aeka continued.  
"That mean Shampoo be old and gray and Ranma still be young and handsome!"   
Shampoo gasped in horror. Ukyo had a look on her face that was very heard to   
read. Akane just gripped a little tighter onto Ranma's arm. "Don't worry, as   
his wives you too will be a part of the royal family and as such will one day be   
summoned also." Aeka said to reassure them. "After all, Fonaho is one hundred   
percent human and the trees called upon her." Washu explained.  
"Then, we won't grow old while Ranma stays young?" Akane asked.  
"You won't." Washu smiled.  
The girls all sighed with relief and grabbed onto Ranma. "We get to spend   
thousands of years with the man we love." Ukyo cooed as she wrapped her arms   
around Ranma.  
  
I can't believe we'll be back home tomorrow., Akane thought as she looked   
out over the lake from the upstairs balcony. She was growing used to the beauty   
of the mountains around her. Life in the city was so different, so busy and   
chaotic. She had to look forward though, when they return to Nerima things will   
not be going back to what could be called normal. At about mid summer Tenchi   
will be coming to live with them to get ready for fall classes in college with   
Ranma. There was also the situation between her, Ranma, Ukyo and Shampoo.   
Nothing definite has been worked out yet thought on how they were going to   
manage the whole thing. The Tendo house wasn't as spacious as Tenchi's place   
and the land plot it was on wasn't large enough for any major renovations expect   
to add another floor.  
Akane heard the van door open and saw her father and Noboyuki carrying   
luggage. Mr. Saotome was on top of the van checking cargo straps that were   
holding something. It was covered in a tarp so she couldn't see what it was.   
Akane hadn't seen it before, it was large, and it wasn't luggage. She left the   
balcony and made her way downstairs. She came out of the house and looked up at   
the thing on the van.  
"Mr. Saotome, what is that?" she asked pointing at the thing in the tarp.  
The balding man scratched his head and said, "Uh, it's a little something   
your father purchased in town the other day." Akane climbed the rear cargo   
ladder on the van's back door and looked under the tarp. The object was a huge   
stone statue. Akane gasped at the immense craftsmanship of the stone carving,   
it almost looked alive. The statue was of a man, she could see the head but   
because of the straps she couldn't see much of the body.  
"What's that thing?" she heard Ranma ask behind her. The young Saotome   
had silently climbed up the ladder behind her. "Its something my Dad bought."   
She told him. "Where the heck is he going to put it?" Ranma asked after jumping   
down to the ground. "In the yard, and I got a perfect place for it." Soun said   
with a smile as he stowed a suitcase into the van.  
  
Washu tapped a few commands into her translucent computer, the access door   
to her holodeck opened slowly. A dazed Happosai stumbled out on uneasy legs.   
The diminutive martial arts master and mega-pervert looked up at Washu through   
blurry eyes. "That was the most incredible experience of my entire life, now I   
can die a happy man." He slurred.  
"You'll get your wish if you don't behave yourself for the next day and a   
half." She warned him. "Or do I have to stick you back in there and boot up my   
"Rocky Horror" program." Happosai's eyes shot open in an expression of absolute   
terror. "Good, now go and be a good little pervert." Washu said as she waved   
him off. The tiny old man ran off as if his life depended on it; which wasn't   
too far from the truth.  
  
Ranma was enjoying would could be his last trip to the onsen. He was   
going to miss this place, it was so relaxing. You can really sit here and think   
things through., he said to himself. He thought about the girls, Akane, Ukyo   
and Shampoo. He thought about what they were going to do after returning to   
Nerima. He was still going to live with the Tendo's but what about the other   
girls. Would they still live where they do now or would they also be moving in,   
after all his Dad and Mr. Tendo encouraged him to share a room with the girls   
here. The house was small as it is with everybody there, now Tenchi was going   
to be there around Fall. That was something Ranma was looking forward to. He   
really liked his cousin and looked up to him. There was something else crossing   
Ranma's mind, after learning about his and Akane's intimacy the other two girls   
have grown more 'affectionate' towards him. The young Saotome had to smile   
though, they really were very beautiful, knockouts really. Yet, that wasn't why   
he loved Akane, she was pretty but wasn't what you would call a knockout. It   
who she is and not what she looked like that made him love her. I guess the   
same thing could be said about Ukyo and Shampoo., he thought. Ukyo was very   
sweet, very beautiful, and a great cook. Shampoo turned heads wherever she   
went, but beneath that pretty face and voluptuous body was a person with a   
strong will, a generally good heart, and an immense devotion to the man she   
loved over any other. Ranma could not help but feel sorry for Mousse who   
devoted much of his life to trying to earn Shampoo's love, but only succeed in   
being shot down in a fiery crash. Then, there was Ryoga and Kuno. Ranma wasn't   
sure about them, he had a feeling he would not see the last of them despite what   
Akane said. Once a stubborn mule always a stubborn mule., he told himself.   
There was also Kuno's nut ball sister, Ranma was a little afraid to find out   
what her reaction to his new relationship with the girls would be.  
Ranma was so deep in thought that he didn't hear the door to the onsen   
open and shut. He didn't hear the sound of bare feet on the wood floor   
approaching his pool or the sound of fine silken clothes falling to the ground.   
A pair of hands came around and covered his eyes, Ranma froze as solid as a   
block of ice.  
"Guess who." Came a soft voice from behind. Shampoo's voice!  
Ranma whipped around, his eyes went wide as he suddenly took in the sight   
before him. Shampoo stood kneeling on her knees at the edge of the pool wearing   
absolutely nothing. Ranma had seen her in a swim suit before but could never   
imagine she looked that beautiful. "Uh, Shampoo, I, uh, was just, uh-" he   
stammered.  
The voluptuous Chinese Amazon warrior produced a bath sponge from behind   
her back. "Shampoo scrub Ranma's back." She smiled. It had always been his   
instinct to pry Shampoo off of him whenever she glomped him. It wasn't because   
he didn't like her, it was because he didn't know what would happen if he ever   
let himself loose control. When a girl as lovely as her grabs onto you your   
first thought isn't to run away.  
"Uh, ok." He replied. Shampoo's eyes shined with immense delight as she   
sank into the water and waded over to him. She turned him around and began to   
slowly scrub his back up and down. This went on for a while until Ranma decided   
to do something he would normally have never done. Without turning he reach   
back, wrapped his arm gently around Shampoo's neck and drew her into a kiss.   
The young woman's entire body shuddered with electrifying delight. They had   
shared a "so called" kiss once before when Mamolin kidnapped her, but she was a   
cat at the time. This was their first "passionate" kiss, ever.  
"Ranma love Shampoo, for real?" she asked softly looking into his eyes for   
the answer. "I know that I really care about you, maybe I do love you, I guess   
its something that will get stronger as we spend more time together." He   
answered her. "Shampoo love Ranma with all her heart." The Chinese girl   
whispered. Ranma turned and kissed her again as he took her into his arms.   
Ranma let go of that mental lock he had whenever Shampoo was around. His   
passion was unleashed, his kisses became more sensual. Ranma's hand slid up her   
body and cupped one of her generously proportioned feminine attributes sending a   
delicious shockwave through Shampoo's body.  
"Shampoo dream of this, she dream to have Ranma in arms, to make love to   
Ranma." She whispered into his ear. With that said, Ranma drew her closer into   
his arms and made her dreams come true.  
  
The day had finally come. Tenchi and Ranma loaded up the last of the   
luggage into the van while the family all gathered outside to exchange their   
farewells. It was going to be almost a year before they saw each other again.   
Many things had been discussed that morning at the breakfast table. For one,   
Ukyo and Shampoo could move into the Tendo home if they wanted and stay in   
Ranma's room. Soun had the right downstairs closet chosen for Washu's lab   
entrance, and the pink haired genius offered to assist with the overcrowding   
problem in the house.  
"I can either add another floor making the house taller, or I can expand   
the room using subspace." She offered.  
"Subspace would be fine, especially after what I saw what you can do with   
it in your lab." Soun said gratefully.  
Tenchi closed the van door and walked with Ranma over to where the family   
was assembled. Noboyuki had his video camera out, the girls were sobbing and   
hugging each other, and Katsuhito was as stoic as ever. Despite the many lows   
the family reunion was a success, the old priest felt like things had finally   
come full circle. Now only the future lay ahead of them.  
"Tenchi will be arriving in mid June to prepare for his classes."   
Katsuhito said. "We'll be ready to welcome him with open arms." Soun smiled.  
"I guess this is it, I sure hate having to leave this beautiful scenery   
and fresh air." Said Akane. "It was fun, but I have a few business deals I've   
got to check up on when we get back home." Nabiki said. "And my garden is   
probably all full of weeds." Kasumi sighed.  
"We will miss you, we had lots of fun since they guys came here." Said   
Ryoko. "Yeah, thanks to Happosai I was able to get lots of data on perverts in   
their natural environment." Washu said happily. Aeka and Ryoko both rolled   
their eyes. The diminutive letch let out a groan, then ran away quickly when   
Washu began humming a few bars of "Time Warp". "Having a few extra hands in the   
kitchen was fun." Sasami smiled. "Miya." Meowed Ryu-Ohki from her perch on top   
of Sasami's head.  
Ranma and Tenchi said their farewells to one another as did Mr. Tendo and   
Mr. Saotome. The addition of Ukyo and Shampoo to the entourage made for very   
cramped quarters in the van, but Akane and Ranma didn't mind that anymore. The   
young Saotome watched the Masaki family waving goodbye as the van pulled away   
from the house for the last time. He sighed, it was over. It seemed so unreal   
that they were returning to Nerima.  
Many things had changed during the summer, his relationship with Akane was   
one of them, and his new relationship with Shampoo and Ukyo was another.   
Tenchi's unique situation was very interesting and Ranma wished him a lot of   
luck dealing with his "harem". Life back in Nerima wasn't going to be quite   
back to normal for them all since the girls were going to move into the Tendo   
house. Ranma wasn't quite sure how Cologne was going to take all of is, she   
expected Ranma to return to the Amazon village and China so Shampoo could bed   
him and make a lot of little warriors for the clan. Not that was a bad thing   
after experiencing love making with Shampoo in the onsen. That girl was quite   
'talented'., thought Ranma. There was Kodachi Kuno, the thought of what she   
would do when she learns of all this scared the crap out of him. He thought   
about this all before but now he was certain the danger he faced before back   
home was going to be nothing compared to what he was going to face now.  
Something beautiful started that summer, new love was sown in the fertile   
Earth and quickly sprouted with new life. Marriage was still a long way off, at   
least until Tenchi and Ranma graduated college. Yet, the two young men had   
reached that point of no return. They could not undo the decisions they made to   
change their destiny even if they wanted to. But, they didn't want to. The   
love that bound Tenchi and the girls and Ranma and this girls would only grow   
from tiny sprouts into a magnificent tree reaching high into the air. They   
would become shining lights in a dark world. The bright future was ahead of   
them shining with the glow of a million suns. Only the gods knew what   
challenges they would face when the time came.  
_________  
TO BE CONTINUED!!!!  
  
COMING SOON:  
  
TENCHI 1/2: THE HIKARU KUNO STORY  
Almost a year has passed and Tenchi is now living at the Tendo Dojo awaiting the   
start of Fall college classes. Life for the family in Nerima seems normal,   
normal for them, but something strange begins to happen when Kasumi gets a   
sudden fascination with the 'startlingly lifelike' statue Mr. Tendo purchased in   
Ohkayama. 


End file.
